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Public Safety

Sexual Predator Admits Violating Terms Of Release

Gary Snavely
10News
Gary Snavely

A sexually violent predator admitted Thursday that he violated the terms of his outpatient release and was ordered back to Coalinga State Hospital for further treatment.

Gary Snavely, a 52-year-old convicted child molester, was ordered released into the community last December after filing a petition for conditional release. He was placed at a home in Jacumba Hot Springs.

Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler said officials supervising Snavely determined he was not completely honest with his treatment team and deemed to be in violation of his outpatient status. He was removed from the home July 2 and was awaiting a Sept. 21 hearing to determine if his outpatient status should be revoked.

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Snavely admitted the violations Thursday, including misuse of medications, failing to remain appropriately clothed at all times on his property while in public view and failing to report any and all instances of sexual thoughts and fantasies involving sexual deviance to treatment staff. Authorities said there are no new victims.

Last August, Judge Louis Hanoian determined that Snavely could be safely released in San Diego County as long as he continued to get treatment.

In October, state hospital officials proposed placing Snavely in Borrego Springs, but that plan was withdrawn and replaced with the proposal to house Snavely in Jacumba Hot Springs.

Snavely was convicted in 1987 of molesting two Orange County girls younger than 10 and served three years in prison. He was released but violated his parole and was returned to prison.

In 1996 while living in San Diego after his release, Snavely was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to 16 months behind bars.

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Prior to his release from prison, the District Attorney's Office filed a petition to civilly commit Snavely as a sexually violent predator. In 1998, Snavely was found to be a sexually violent predator and was ordered to undergo treatment at a state mental hospital.

In 2008, the court granted Snavely's request for conditional release, but he was returned to the hospital several months later for medication misuse.

In April 2014, Snavely filed a petition for conditional release, which Hanoian granted after hearing testimony from two mental health experts and reviewing reports from other experts.

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