High-Risk Sex Offender To Be Released Friday In Petaluma

PETALUMA - A high-risk sex offender is scheduled to be released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at a hotel in Petaluma Friday, according to police.

Jonathan Michael Hoppner, 23, was incarcerated on charges of annoying or molesting a child under the age of 18 and sexual battery, according to police.

His past victims have included girls and women between the ages 15 and 50.

Petaluma Police say they object to the state's decision to release Hoppner within city limits, but they have no legal authority to dictate where he lives. They say they're warning the public so area residents can protect themselves and their families accordingly.

Hoppner is described as a white man with blue eyes and blonde hair. He's approximately 6 feet tall, weighing roughly 240 pounds.

In a statement issued this evening, police stressed that it's illegal to use any of this information to commit a crime against a sex offender, or to engage in discrimination against or the harassment of a sex offender.

More information about sex offenders can be obtained from the California Sex Offender Registry at http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/.

-Bay City News, images via Petaluma Police