Kenneth Bogard, long known to San Diegans as the "Pacific Beach Rapist," has once again been denied parole and will remain behind bars after a parole panel ruled he is still not suitable for release. The decision revisits a case that rattled Pacific Beach and the College Area in the early 1990s.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Bogard was convicted in 1995 on more than three dozen felony counts, including rape, burglary and assault, and was sentenced to roughly 96 years in state prison. Prosecutors say he attacked seven women between August 1992 and October 1993 inside homes in Pacific Beach and the College Area. His case resurfaced decades later for review under California's elderly-parole rules.
Parole board denies release
The Board of Parole Hearings found Bogard unsuitable for release at a hearing this week and will not schedule another parole hearing for at least three years, as reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune. The hearing was held remotely at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad and reviewed the original case files, victim statements and Bogard's conduct while in custody.
How he became eligible
Bogard's bid for early release was triggered by California's elderly-parole provisions, which allow inmates 50 and older who have served certain minimum terms to seek review. The Board's July calendar shows Bogard had a subsequent suitability hearing set this month, a routine step for inmates reviewed under the law, according to the Board of Parole Hearings.
In a statement to The San Diego Union-Tribune, District Attorney Summer Stephan said her office is grateful the board recognized that this offender continues to pose an unacceptable risk to public safety and denied parole. Her office has repeatedly opposed early releases in high-profile cases tied to the elderly parole rules.
Bogard was first denied parole in 2019 and again in subsequent reviews, according to local reporting and prosecutors' statements. The long-running case and the 1995 jury conviction have been covered extensively by local outlets, including Times of San Diego.
Next steps and legal context
Under the Board's procedures, a denial generally sets a fixed period before an inmate may be considered again. In Bogard's case, that revisit period will be at least three years, according to Board materials. Any future grant of parole would still be subject to gubernatorial review, and prosecutors' lifer units typically remain involved in later hearings.
For now, Bogard will remain in custody and off local streets. Prosecutors say they will continue to participate in any future parole proceedings. Victims and community members who have followed the case say the decision is another pause in a long and painful ordeal.
