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A registered sex offender who was freed after a judge said his right to a speedy trial was violated by a 17-year delay has been charged with sexually abusing two children in California s Central Valley.
Jorge Vasquez was charged with eight counts of child molestation for allegedly fondling two boys ages 6 to 10 years old in Tulare and San Luis Obispo counties between June 2018 and this week, according to a criminal complaint made public Tuesday.
Vasquez, 48, also is charged with a count of failing to register as a sex offender.
The charges include special allegations involving multiple victims and his previous sex offenses. Vasquez could face up to life in prison if convicted.
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A judge today rejected placing a sexually violent predator poised for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood, saying the residence was located in a densely populated neighborhood and in close proximity to children.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert Harutunian III said the home at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive, which was proposed by state hospital officials to house 64-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield, was “not what the legislature intended for SVP placements.”
Wakefield, who is currently housed at Coalinga State Hospital, is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Wakefield was convicted of sex crimes in 1981 and 1990 and served prison terms for each crime.
Merle Wade Wakefield
MOUNT HELIX (KUSI) – A judge today rejected placing a sexually violent predator poised for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood, saying the residence was located in a densely populated neighborhood and in close proximity to children.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert Harutunian III said the home at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive, which was proposed by state hospital officials to house 64-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield, was “not what the legislature intended for SVP placements.”
Wakefield, who is currently housed at Coalinga State Hospital, is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Wakefield was convicted of sex crimes in 1981 and 1990 and served prison terms for each crime.
MOUNT HELIX (KUSI) – A judge today rejected placing a sexually violent predator poised for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood, saying the residence was located in a densely populated neighborhood and in close proximity to children.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert Harutunian III said the home at 10957 Horizon Hills Drive, which was proposed by state hospital officials to house 64-year-old Merle Wade Wakefield, was “not what the legislature intended for SVP placements.”
Wakefield, who is currently housed at Coalinga State Hospital, is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to re-offend. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Wakefield was convicted of sex crimes in 1981 and 1990 and served prison terms for each crime.
Judge rules that placement of sexually violent predator not appropriate in El Cajon neighborhood
Now that the Mount Helix location has been determined to be unsuitable, the state will be tasked with finding another site to house Merle Wade Wakefield. Author: Allison Royal (KFMB), CBS News 8 Team Published: 6:32 AM PDT May 10, 2021 Updated: 11:27 AM PDT May 10, 2021
EL CAJON, Calif. A placement hearing was held on Monday for a sexually violent predator proposed for conditional release at a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood.
The San Diego Superior Court judge ruled that the neighborhood in El Cajon is not an appropriate location to house the man.