Serial Rapist Who Terrorized Pacific Beach is Denied Parole
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that convicted rapist, Kenneth Bogard, 67, was denied parole. He was up for a parole hearing after serving only 30 years of a 96-year prison sentence, due to elderly parole, which is available to inmates over the age of 50, who have served at least 20 years of their sentence.
Bogard was convicted by a jury in 1995 of 37 felonies, including multiple counts of residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, sexual battery, forcible oral copulation, rape by foreign object, assault with intent to commit rape, and rape. He was sentenced to 96 years in prison. His first parole hearing was in 2019. At that time, the Parole Board denied his request and set his next hearing for five years later, which was today, October 10.
“The Elder Parole law that allows for early release of murderers and rapists is cruel to crime victims and is rigged to only benefit violent criminals,” DA Stephan said. “This newer law forces victims and their families to revisit the trauma they have already suffered and causes additional despair. It doesn’t matter what kind of vicious acts for which the inmate was convicted. The law gives an opportunity to felons who were sentenced to life in prison to be prematurely released into our community. Our Lifer Unit will never abandon victims and we will continue to stand by them in these early parole hearings, vowing to fight releases when warranted, as we are in this serial rape case.”
Effective January 2021, inmates who are both age 50 and have served at least 20 years in prison are now eligible for an elderly parole hearing in most cases. Inmates who are 60 and have served at least 25 years are also eligible for an elderly parole hearing, no matter the crime.
Between August 1992 and October 1993, Bogard brutally attacked seven women inside their homes in the Pacific Beach community. He stalked his victims prior to the attacks, sometimes watching them for weeks. He disguised his identity with a ski mask, carried a knife to force the victims into submission, and viciously forced them to perform sex acts. Bogard stalked the women to ensure they were home alone, then he creeped into their homes without detection before attacking. After the cruel sexual attacks, Bogard often tucked the victim into bed saying “Goodnight” or reminding the victim to lock her doors and windows.
Since Bogard was denied parole, the Board of Parole Hearings will not set a new parole hearing for at least three years.
Deputy District Attorney John Cross leads the DA’s Lifer Hearing Unit, which serves to ensure that dangerous prisoners with life sentences are not released carelessly or improvidently, and to ensure that crime victims and their families are given an opportunity to participate in the parole hearing process and have their voices heard.
