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Judge: Sex Offender Must Be Released By End Of November

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A California judge has ordered the release of a violent sex offender as a transient after unsuccessful efforts to find him housing.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Superior Court Judge Arvid Johnson ruled Tuesday that 51-year-old Fraisure Earl Smith must be released from a psychiatric hospital by the end of November.

He will return to Solano County, where he was convicted of five sexual assaults over 15 years. Past efforts to house Smith have prompted outcry from potential neighbors.

Liberty Healthcare was hired by California to handle sex predator releases and will find housing for Smith in motels until a permanent residence is found.

Solano County Deputy District Attorney Mary Nguyen says the organization will monitor Smith and move him every five days.

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