‘Pedo island’ sex offenders won’t be housed in Washington residential areas after backlash

Last month it was revealed that Washington state Democrats are releasing level-3 sex offenders, including convicted pedophiles, called "the worst of the worst" by the federal government and most likely to re-offend from McNeil Island.

The offenders are being resettled into rural and residential neighborhoods around the state in halfway homes operated by private companies and some local agencies.

The company wrote on its website, “Supreme Living announced today that due to resources and expenses associated with land use requirements, it will not proceed with providing supportive housing services at its Tenino property.”

Neighbors revealed that the facility violated building codes for such facilities and the project was paused, pending coming into compliance.

“Supreme Living values its relationship with the Department of Social and Health Services and continues to strongly believe in the importance of providing much-needed supportive services,” the company added. “Supreme Living appreciates the courtesy and professionalism of DSHS and Thurston County staff in connection with this matter.”

The state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) confirmed the postponement during a webinar with Kevin Bovenkamp, the assistant secretary of the DSHS Behavioral Health Administration stating, “That release has been paused for the time being while the property owner and the county discuss concerns raised related to code compliance for the property.”

​During the backlash from the community, neighbors protested at the facility and state representatives began pushing legislation to stop the release of the offenders.

The facility located at 140th Avenue Southwest north of Tenino, officially known as a Less Restrictive Alternative (LRA), was scheduled to accept its first resident, a registered level two sex offender, on Feb. 1.

Supreme Living would have collected $38,000 a month per resident until it is fully occupied with five predators. The state claimed that at full occupancy, the average cost would fall to $20,000 a month per predator.

Neighbors told The Post Millennial that though they were satisfied that the project was halted, the legislation releasing the offenders remains and that the predators would likely end up at a facility in a different neighborhood, possibly without the knowledge of local residents.

Washington Democrats passed legislation in 2021 that amended state law to make it easier to equally distribute conditionally released sexually violent predators in counties across the state.

Earlier this month, hundreds of residents in Enumclaw, Washington, including several state lawmakers, crammed into a local church to demand answers from state and county officials about a high-level sex offender who has moved into the community without notice after being released from McNeil Island.