Law enforcement leaders urge public to attend full-board review hearing after parole granted to offender sentenced to 355 years
A man sentenced to more than 350 years in prison for sexually abusing multiple young boys in Sacramento County during the 1990s has been granted elderly parole by the California Board of Parole Hearings, a decision that drew sharp criticism Wednesday from Sacramento County law enforcement leaders.
Gregory Vogelsang, now 57, was convicted of repeatedly molesting children between 1995 and 1997. Authorities said the crimes involved at least six victims ranging in age from 5 to 11. Investigators and prosecutors have described Vogelsang as a sexually violent predator based on the nature of the crimes and the number of victims involved in the case.
According to details released by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, investigators determined Vogelsang used grooming tactics to gain access to children by first building trust with their families. Detectives said he befriended parents and created opportunities for unsupervised contact with the children through sleepovers, gifts and outings before abusing that trust.
In one case described by investigators, a young boy reported Vogelsang persuaded him to get into his vehicle under the pretense of helping pick out a gift. Authorities said the child was driven to a residence where he was repeatedly assaulted despite crying and asking him to stop.
Another victim spent the night at Vogelsang’s home nearly every weekend for years because he was friends with Vogelsang’s family, authorities said. During those visits, investigators determined the abuse occurred repeatedly over an extended period of time.
During the original investigation, Sacramento County deputies located boys’ underwear in Vogelsang’s possession. According to authorities, Vogelsang admitted the clothing belonged to his victims and stated he kept the items for sexual stimulation.
Psychological evaluations conducted during his incarceration also documented admissions regarding his sexual interests. According to authorities, Vogelsang acknowledged he remained primarily sexually attracted to boys between the ages of 5 and 11. Officials also stated he admitted that as recently as 2020 he was still masturbating to fantasies involving young boys.
Despite those findings, the California Board of Parole Hearings granted Vogelsang elderly parole.
The parole decision does not automatically result in immediate release. Under California’s parole process, decisions by the Board of Parole Hearings may undergo additional administrative review and reconsideration before any release occurs.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thein Ho said the decision was deeply troubling given the severity of the case and the inmate’s assessed risk to reoffend. Ho said Vogelsang was convicted of 27 charges involving six young victims and was sentenced by a judge to 355 years to life in prison, yet became eligible for release after serving roughly 27 years.
“A jury convicted him of 27 different charges, and a judge sentenced him to 355 years to life,” Ho said during Wednesday’s press conference. “He has served only about 27 years of that sentence, and yet the parole board is letting him out. This inmate had a risk assessment that was above average for reoffending, and yet the parole board is letting him out.”
Ho also referenced statements made during the parole hearing that he said raised additional concerns about the inmate’s ongoing sexual preoccupation with children.
“During his parole hearing, the inmate specifically said that masturbating to images of children leads to molestation, molestation leads to kidnapping, and kidnapping ultimately leads to the murder of a child,” Ho said. “This inmate admitted while incarcerated to masturbating to images in his mind of naked children, and yet the parole board is letting him out.”
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper also condemned the parole decision, describing the case as a clear example of why sexually violent offenders should not qualify for release under California’s elderly parole law.
“Here we go again. I’m angry about this. It is not okay. This is real. It’s visceral,” Cooper said, recounting investigative details from the original case. “Between 1995 and 1997, he molested at least six boys between the ages of five and 11. He admitted to inviting boys to his home, buying them things, gaining parents’ trust before abusing them. Investigators found boys’ underwear in his possession. He admitted he kept them for sexual stimulation. He’s a predator.”
Cooper said the parole decision raises broader concerns about the state’s public safety policies and the eligibility of sexually violent predators for early release.
“You don’t rehabilitate sex offenders,” Cooper said. “He was sentenced to over 300 years. How is he getting out early after 27 years? The parole board is letting us down. The only change that should happen is that sexually violent predators are not eligible for elderly parole, period.”
California’s elderly parole law allows inmates who are at least 50 years old and have served at least 20 years of their sentence to be considered for release. The policy was enacted in 2017 and later expanded in 2020, allowing certain long-term inmates to receive parole hearings based on age and time served.
Ho said his office is also tracking additional cases involving convicted child molesters who could become eligible for elderly parole under current law.
“If this law stands and we don’t stop this release, other child molesters will be released as well,” Ho said.
Ho and Cooper said they are now seeking a full-board review of the decision and urged the public to participate in the process.
“We have requested that the decision be reviewed by the full parole board,” Ho said. “We are asking people to attend the hearing on March 18 at 1515 K Street, Suite 550, call (916) 267-0857 to leave a message, or submit a written statement opposing the release. A society is judged by what it chooses to protect. If we are unwilling to protect our children, then we must stand up and do so.”
The full-board review hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 9 a.m. at the Board of Parole Hearings office in Sacramento. According to Ho, members of the public have several options to make their voice heard on the release. To do so, they can attend the hearing. If they can’t attend they can make a public comment over the phone by adding yourself to the speaker list by phone 916-267-0857 and follow the prompts or submit a written statement to BPHEXE.BRDMEETING@cdcr.ca.gov and identify you are submitting a statement on item number 32 Gregory Vogelsang (P55114).
“Children deserve protection,” Cooper said. “There is no gray area when it comes to protecting our kids.”Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
