A man who pleaded guilty to molesting four San Diego children more than 20 years ago is now livingis now living at the Peachtree Inn on F Street and 9th Avenue in downtown San Diego, according to the sheriff's department.
Matthew Harvey Hedge, 49, is classified as a former sexually violent predator with a criminal history. He is no longer to wear a GPS tracking device but must report his whereabouts every 30 days to the sheriff’s department.
A week ago, officials said Hedge was living as a transient in the Spring Valley and Lemon Grove area. He has sinced moved into the Peachtree Inn in downtown San Diego.
He formerly lived on a trailer on prison property because of the community concern, but is now he is back out in public, living on his own.
Hedge pleaded guilty in 1989 to molesting four children in the San Diego area and served 12 years in prison. He was civilly committed to the state hospital for sex offender treatment in 1997 and had his supervised release revoked in 2006, within six weeks of it being granted. He was last arrested in 2009 and later released when a judge deemed him safe to reenter society.
He is described as 5-foot-7-inches, 191-pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He's known to drive a maroon 2000 Ford F‐150 and a silver 2012 Hyundai Sonata.
While he is not wanted at this time by the sheriff’s department, deputies must alert the public about a former sex offender’s whereabouts because of Megan’s Law.
“Mr. Hedge will be a lifetime sex registrant, and he will be required to register with the city of San Diego as long as he resides here every 90 days,” explained SDPD Lt. Anastasia Smith
One resident living in the same building as Hedge told NBC 7 Friday that he didn’t know Hedge moved in, but said it was okay.
“I personally think the guy should get a break. He did what he did, he paid the price; he's not on parole,” said the neighbor.
Police said a 3-year-old girl lives in the building and they notified her family this week about Hedge moving in.
