SAN DIEGO -- Hundreds of sex offenders in San Diego County are registered as homeless and deceiving authorities about where they really live, 10News reported.

Michael Eugene Lane, a sex offender convicted of lewd acts with a child, was detained in Rancho Bernardo last week, authorities told 10News.

For the last two years, he has been registered as a transient, but last week a tip led authorities to a home near the Oaks North Golf Course in Rancho Bernardo. The home is located not far from a school and a park.

Darryl Heintz, Interim Director of the S.A.F.E. Task Force, said, "The resident of the home confirmed he had been residing there for three months. In our investigation, we learned he was living at another friend's home previous to that -- also in Rancho Bernardo."

Lane is back in custody and faces more than five years in prison for the alleged deception, but authorities said many sex offenders have lied before.

In San Diego, there are about 1,400 registered sex offenders, with 225 registered as homeless amid a tough economy and more laws restricting where sex offenders can live. However, investigators said many are hiding where they live.

Heintz said, "Based on the surveillance I've done and the arrests I've made, I'd estimate between 25 to 35 percent are actually not homeless."

Prosecutors said sex offenders typically claim they don't want the addresses of family, friends and roommates on the Megan's Law Web site, and they don't want the harassment.

GPS monitoring covers some of the homeless -- those on parole. Those who are not covered could be anywhere, authorities said.

Phyllis Schess, Deputy District Attorney and Director of the Sex Offender Management Division, said, "When we don't know where people are, we can't watch what they're doing. They could be grooming children or stalking other potential victims."

Schess said the reality is law provides for sex offenders to register as homeless.

Some are campaigning for a new law to require GPS monitoring for all sex offenders, but opponents said it would be far too costly.