By Division of Adult Parole Operations staff
Sex-Offender Parole Agent Javier Cosme has a tough beat supervising high-risk sex offenders in the community. Mandated to wear GPS tracking devices on their ankles, these offenders are closely monitored.
To generally define high risk, these parolees go through a series of assessments while incarcerated and based on their static and dynamic factors, they are given a risk factor score.
The accumulation of incarceration history, age of first crime committed, years of incarceration, and severity of sex crimes are a few of many factors being considered prior to receiving a risk score.
The higher the score suggests a high likelihood of a parolee re-offending. The majority of sex offenders on parole are at high risk to re-offend.
This is where sex-offender parole agents like Cosme play a vital role in community supervision and public safety.
On Aug. 1, 2019, an attempted sexual assault crime was reported to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in Victorville.
On Aug. 2, Agent Cosme reviewed the GPS tracking data, looking for high risk parolees on the day of the reported sex crime. The GPS tracking data revealed that a parolee was in the vicinity of where the reported sex crime occurred.
Cosme questioned the parolee about his whereabouts on Aug. 1 and received inconsistent statements.
Cosme recommended a polygraph test be conducted on the parolee. During the test, the parolee was asked if he had committed unlawful sex acts or forced any women to perform any sex acts on Aug. 1.
The results of the polygraph conveyed untruthfulness and indicated deception.
After receiving the polygraph results, Cosme contacted the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and inquired if there were any sexual assaults reported on Aug. 1 in the area where the parolee was on that date.
San Bernardino Sheriff’s Dispatch reported an attempted sexual assault on that date in the area where the parolee’s GPS tracking data indicated. Cosme shared the findings of the tracking information and polygraph results with the Sheriff’s Department and assisted with the investigation.
A deputy interviewed the victim and put together a photographic lineup. The victim positively identified the parolee as the suspect who attempted to sexually assault her on Aug. 1.
The victim assisted with locating the knife used in the attack. With Cosme’s assistance, the Sheriff’s Department completed the investigation and submitted the case to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Cosme’s work was not over.
During the ongoing investigation, Cosme continued to supervise the parolee, closely monitoring his whereabouts. On Sept. 3, Agent Cosme observed the parolee driving his vehicle with an unknown female passenger.
Cosme made contact with the parolee in a parking lot. He interviewed a woman sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The woman said she had never met the parolee before that day. She said he approached her and offered her a ride at a bus stop earlier that morning.
The parolee was arrested for violating his special conditions of parole. On Sept. 19, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges of intent to commit rape, attempted forcible rape and three enhancements of prior violent felonies.