SAN DIEGO (CNS) - State hospital officials have recommended placing a man designated as a sexually violent predator into a home in Borrego Springs, it was announced Monday.
John Phillips has been recommended by the California Department of State Hospitals for placement at 1619 Zuni Trail, according to a statement from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
Phillips, who was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child and sexual battery, is classified as a sexually violent predator, a designation for those convicted of sexually violent offenses and diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes a person likely to re-offend.
After serving their prison sentences, SVPs undergo treatment at state hospitals, but may also petition courts to continue treatment in outpatient locations, where they are monitored via GPS, among other measures.
While residents of regions where SVP placements have been proposed have largely opposed those placements, Liberty Healthcare, which operates the state's conditional release program for sexually violent predators, has said no SVPs have re-offended in the history of the program.
Residents who wish to weigh in on the proposed placement may do so at a court hearing next month, during which members of the public are typically allowed to make comments to the court regarding the suitability of the placement. That hearing will be held on Sept. 24 at the San Diego Central Courthouse before Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers.
Public comments may also be submitted until Sept. 7 to the SAFE Task Force, a regional law enforcement team that monitors and enforces sex offender registration laws in the county.
Comments can be submitted via email to sdsafe@sdsheriff.org; by calling 858-583-7238; or by mailing a statement to SVP Release/SAFE Task Force, 9425 Chesapeake Drive, San Diego, 92123.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
