A convicted child molester sentenced to more than three centuries in prison is now facing potential release under California’s elderly parole program, sparking outrage in Sacramento County.
Gregory Lee Vogelsang, a Roseville resident convicted in 1999 of nearly 30 counts of kidnapping and sexual assault involving boys aged 5 to 11, has served about 27 years of his 355-years-to-life sentence.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho and Sheriff Jim Cooper have urged residents to participate in an upcoming parole board hearing that will reconsider the decision.
According to The Sacramento Bee, officials are encouraging the public to attend or submit comments to the California Board of Parole Hearings as it evaluates whether Vogelsang should remain behind bars.
Ho said community input is critical to protect public safety.
Vogelsang qualified for parole under California’s elderly parole law, which allows inmates who are at least 50 years old and have served 20 consecutive years to request a hearing — even if their original sentence effectively amounted to life imprisonment.
Critics argue that this law, designed to address prison overcrowding, inadvertently allows violent sexual predators to become eligible for early release.
Prosecutors detailed that Vogelsang groomed families to access children, inviting boys to sleepovers, taking them on outings, and offering gifts before assaulting them repeatedly over several years.
Investigators said he admitted possessing underwear belonging to his victims for sexual stimulation, and psychological evaluations documented that he remains primarily attracted to boys aged 5 to 11.
Officials also reported that as recently as 2020, Vogelsang admitted to fantasizing about children and scored above average on risk assessments for reoffending compared with other sexual offenders, according to FOX26.
District Attorney Ho called the parole decision deeply troubling.
“This inmate will molest again, and yet this parole board is letting him out,” he said, adding that California’s elderly parole law should exclude sexual predators.
Sheriff Cooper echoed those concerns, arguing that “soft on crime does not work” and calling for lawmakers to revise the program to prevent serious sexual offenders from becoming eligible.
The controversy has intensified following a similar case in which David Allen Funston, another convicted child molester, was granted elderly parole, as previously highlighted by Resist the Mainstream.
Funston was later arrested on new charges before his scheduled release, prompting renewed criticism of the state’s parole policies, according to ABC10.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who signed the legislation expanding elderly parole eligibility, has faced criticism from law enforcement and lawmakers for the law that allows offenders like Vogelsang to qualify for release.
Supporters of the program argue that elderly parole includes safeguards and involves extensive review and that many inmates are denied release.
Critics counter that age does not eliminate the risk posed by sexual predators, noting that many crimes go unreported for years, CapRaido highlighted.
The Board of Parole Hearings will reconsider Vogelsang’s case at an upcoming hearing, allowing the public to submit comments before a final determination.
Sacramento County officials have emphasized the importance of community engagement to ensure that public safety is prioritized as the board reviews whether Vogelsang remains in custody.
