Sexually Violent Predators

About the series

As of March 2025, 60 men have been released to communities across California under a state program that designates them with perhaps the most alarming term in state law — sexually violent predator.

An inewsource investigation found that more than one-third of the SVPs carefully monitored under a state program known as CONREP were placed here in San Diego County, where they’re housed in the backcountry amid strict placement restrictions and vocal outcry from neighbors. San Diego likely has the highest number of CONREP releases of all counties in the state.

We also revealed the troubling case of William Stafford, a sexually violent predator who was given around-the-clock security after his home was twice attacked at night.

The security was costing Liberty Healthcare, the longtime contractor that has operated the program for two decades, nearly $500,000 a year. Stafford’s attorney has accused Liberty workers of setting him up through a stolen cash allegation in an attempt to send him back to a state hospital and get out of the high security costs.

Our stories provide a rare look into the inner workings of an SVP case in San Diego — and raises questions about the state’s management of the SVP program, which has cost $100 million in exclusive contracts to Liberty since 2003.

inewsource investigative reporter Greg Moran reported this project.