A sexually violent predator could be housed in south Thurston County. Here are the facts
A Rochester home is being considered for sex offender housing, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said, but the situation is more complicated than it seems.
The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) notified the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday that they have begun a suitability assessment for a Less Restrictive Alternative (LRA) sex offender house in Rochester, Sanders shared on Facebook.
The notification was issued under court order and DOC declined to share the address of the home, Sanders said. Court records obtained by The Olympian show the home in question is on Rosemary Street, just northeast of Rochester High School.
At first glance, the situation bears some resemblance to a proposed sex offender home in Tenino that was canceled in February after much public backlash. However, the proposal for a home in Rochester is driven by a single court case rather than a larger state effort to expand LRA housing.
The Tenino proposal involved the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, but DSHS spokesperson Tyler Hemstreet told The Olympian DSHS is not involved in this case and does not support the proposal to house a sex offender in Rochester.
“The resident who is potentially discharging has a relative who owns the home and is working with the defense for this placement,” Hemstreet said. “There is no intention for the relative to house any other (sexually violent predators), nor has she housed any other residents in the past.”
Hemstreet said Kitsap County Superior Court will make a final decision on this matter after receiving a report from DOC.
Sheriff Sanders opposed the Tenino LRA proposal, citing limited staffing in his office. He repeated that concern in his Facebook post.
“This proposed area is in the same patrol district as the Tenino LRA proposal, and just like last time, there is still only one funded deputy for that entire region,” Sanders said in the post.
What’s going on in this court case?
Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bassett ordered DOC to investigate the suitability of the home on Aug. 22, according to court records.
The order came after the defense team for George Hancock, a designated sexually violent predator, proposed moving him into the home, which is occupied by a relative.
Hancock was convicted of first-degree rape of child in a 2000 Kitsap County case and convicted of indecent liberties against a child under age 14 in a 1982 Thurston County case, according to court records.
The court released Hancock in 2022 to the Secure Community Transition Facility in King County where he has been receiving sex offender treatment.
A DSHS annual report from January indicates Hancock still meets the definition of a sexually violent predator, court records show.
The report also found that a less restrictive alternative than his current facility is not in his best interest, and conditions that may be imposed would not adequately protect the community, court records show.
However, Hancock’s legal team has reportedly demonstrated probable cause for a trial on whether Hancock should be released to the Rochester home, which is described as a “step-down” LRA in court records.
A trial on this matter has not been scheduled yet nor has an agreement been reached with the state, so it’s still not certain if Hancock will move into the Rochester home.
The DOC review of the home is scheduled to be completed 60 days after the Aug. 22 order was served, provided that deadline is not extended by the court, according to court records.
Sex offender housing near Tenino has been canceled, but officials say it’s just first step
