Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Kaleb Cockrum. | Photos by Ryan Hutson.

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Stobaugh appearing via Zoom on Tuesday.

Serial rapist and clinically diagnosed sexually violent predator Richard Stobaugh will not be released back into the community, as previously planned.

This morning, Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Kaleb Cockrum ruled that Stobaugh possessed child pornography while held at Coalinga State Hospital, a mental institution, and that he concealed this fact from his treatment team.

Cockrum vacated his December 2023 decision, in which he ruled that Stobaugh was appropriate for conditional, supervised release following authorization from the California Department of State Hospitals. As a result of this reversal, Stobaugh will remain confined in the state hospital indefinitely, rather than being released to live on the outskirts of Manila. 

Cockrum read his full ruling aloud this morning, saying he was convinced by testimony given in court yesterday that Stobaugh not only possessed child pornography on a contraband hard drive but that he then lied about it to law enforcement investigators. Papers found in Stobaugh’s dorm room also suggested that he was running a bartering operation in which he may have used the child porn as currency, Cockrum said.

Stobaugh tried to convince investigators that the child porn actually belonged to a different patient and provided letters that were ostensibly written by that patient, claiming ownership of the device. But when investigators suggesting asking that patient directly, Stobaugh panicked and said something like, “I just killed myself,” which suggests that he had fabricated those letters, Cockrum said.

Stobaugh’s failure to make his treatment team aware of the child pornography and other contraband, including DVD players with the serial numbers filed off, suggests consciousness of guilt, according to Cockrum’s ruling.

Stobaugh’s actions to hide his misconduct are particularly concerning, Cockrum said, given his diagnosed tendency to deceive and manipulate, as recorded when he was subjected to a psychopathy checklist.

The judge also said the doctors who testified yesterday that Stobaugh was still fit for release never acknowledged that his lack of candor about possessing child pornography should be considered worthy of introspection and structured treatment, which “raises serious concerns about the integrity of his rehabilitative process.”

Both expert witnesses, Dr. Paul Murdock and Dr. Robert Cureton, testified in 2023 that they were unaware of Stobaugh’s possession of child pornography, yet once informed they failed to investigate the allegations, communicate with Stobaugh’s treatment team or reassess their conclusions.

“This admission suggests a degree of professional hubris that calls the reliability of their opinions into serious question,” Cockrum said.

Ultimately, Cockrum found that The People, as represented in court by Senior Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm, had met the burden of proof. He vacated his previous order and encouraged Stobaugh to take responsibility for his actions. By state law, Stobaugh may petition the court for release once per year.

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