SAN DIEGO — Some residents in Rancho Bernardo are enraged, after learning that the state of California is eyeing their community to house a sexually violent predator.
Douglas Badger has been convicted of a string of sex offenses and diagnosed with a mental condition making him likely to re-offend.
The state granted him conditional release earlier this year but has been unsuccessful in finding Badger a new home.
Earlier this year, the state recommended placing Badger in a home in the Mount Helix neighborhood. A judge ultimately ruled against that, following widespread community opposition.
Now, the latest recommendation is a three-bedroom house in Rancho Bernardo, where new opposition is already forming.
Residents along Frondoso Drive are not welcoming the prospect of having 78-year-old Badger as their new neighbor.
He was convicted of offenses that include child molestation, kidnapping and forcible oral copulation, with his victims predominately being male strangers, many of them hitchhikers, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
Badger is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses. After serving their prison sentences, SVPs may undergo treatment at state hospitals, but may also petition courts to continue treatment in supervised outpatient locations.
Badger petitioned for release into the Conditional Release Program for sex offenders and was granted conditional release earlier this year.
"I don't know what kind of research they did before they made the decision, but [this neighborhood] is filled with children," said Rancho Bernardo resident Anita Green, who lives on the street that the state is proposing to place Badger.
"I am heated!" shouted neighbor Lynn Schulman. "To place this man in an enclosed community where there are a lot of young children, with a Poway Unified bus stop three blocks away that they walk to? No!"
There are also a number of older, special needs children living on this street as well.
"I am extremely worried, because my daughter, she doesn't perceive danger like everybody else because she is on the spectrum," said neighbor Lynda Sohl.
"You can't move a person like that to this kind of neighborhood," added Amots Dramen, who lives directly across the street from the house, along with his 22-year-old special needs son.
"He's not even aware of the danger of crossing the street," Dramen told News 8. "He's not going to be aware of any risk of predators next to him."
Neighbors said they're already planning for the upcoming court placement hearing: some even looking into legal action.
"If they feel a sexually violent predator can live across from me, then I need to know what kind of protections they're going to afford me," Green said.
While some conceded that Badger -- who, at almost 80, has served his time -- must be housed somewhere, they said that this is not the appropriate community.
"They need to find a solution, yes, absolutely," said Dramen, "but not here, not in places like this."
"In my opinion, even old men can be dirty, they can do bad things," Sohl added. "I would not be comfortable having him here."
In addition to the October 29 placement hearing in a downtown San Diego courtroom, public comments will be accepted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 14 regarding the placement.
Those comments may be submitted by calling 858-495-3619, or emailing sdsafe@sdsheriff.org. Comments can also be mailed to:
SVP Release/SAFE Task Force
9425 Chesapeake Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
WATCH RELATED: Judge rules against the placement of second sexually violent predator Douglas Badger at Mount Helix - May 2021