Hearing held over housing location of violent sex offender

A violent sexual predator is set to be released from state custody back to Monterey County. But not until a safe place to keep him is found.

Eldridge Chaney Junior was convicted of raping several women in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Wednesday marked the first of several hearings surrounding his release back into the community.

The State Department of Hospitals has a contract with Liberty Healthcare, the company that’s tasked with finding the best place for Chaney to live when he is released.

So far, they have gone through about 300 homes and haven’t found one that meets the requirements.

Chaney waived his right to appear in court and after a long time behind closed doors, a Monterey County judge ordered Liberty Healthcare to keep looking.

State hospitals said Chaney is scheduled to be released back to Monterey County because his crime were committed here. Liberty said it’s been searching for housing since October.

“I’m sure Mr. Chaney is concerned about his safety in the community as well as integrating safely into society. The community has its concerns so we’re here to consider all of them,” deputy district attorney Angela McNulty said.

The county plans to regroup with liberty on June 3, unless a suitable housing situation is found sooner. From there, the county is required to give public notice to the people in that area. If this whole thing sounds familiar it is a very similar process for the one that convicted child molester James Lamb went through.

Lamb confessed to molesting more than 50 children and was released from the sexually violent predator program. He was ordered back to the state hospital three years later in 2011 for violations of that release.