By Sara Beth Williams–
Following a parole review hearing held Wednesday morning, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Board of Parole Hearings voted to refer the grant of parole for Gregory Vogelsang, to a rescission hearing.
The 57-year-old convicted sex offender, sentenced to 355 years in prison for crimes involving children, has served 27 years of his sentence. Vogelsang was originally granted parole in November 2025 through the state’s Elderly Parole Program.
Convicted criminals may be eligible for elderly parole after being incarcerated at least 20 years and reaching 50 years of age or being incarcerated at least 25 years and reaching 60 years of age, the Board of Parole Hearings states.
Several county officials have spoken out against the decision to parole Vogelsang and other violent offenders, including Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, and Assemblymember Josh Hoover. News reports indicate Gov. Gavin Newsom requested a review of the original decision, prompting the executive board to reconsider the case Wednesday morning.
Prior to the hearing, Hoover encouraged constituents to join a rally downtown in opposition to the release of violent sexual offenders. Community members, including survivors of sexual abuse, the deputy district attorney, and other officials, gathered to speak out against releasing Vogelsang.
The hearing reviewed multiple cases alongside Vogelsang’s, and board members heard public comment from multiple community members both for and against each parole candidate. Evan Franzel, with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Freedom Project, spoke remotely through a video call as the only one in favor of releasing Vogelsang.
“I urge the parole board to remain committed to its mandate, to evaluate someone’s current risk to public safety, and to make decisions that are grounded, evidence-based, and give each person a fair opportunity to demonstrate rehabilitation,” Franzel said. “Public safety and fairness should guide the board’s decisions, rather than political pressures. ”
Following public comments, parole decisions were made behind closed doors. Vogelsang’s case was then referred to a recession hearing.
“The purpose of a rescission hearing is to evaluate if a fundamental error was committed by the granting panel that may indicate that a grant of parole was improper,” the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s website states.
Hoover wrote to constituents Tuesday, outlining several pieces of legislation in the works that aim to change the way the parole board operates, including AB 2342, which would allow the governor to reverse parole decisions involving violent felonies, and SB 906, introduced by Senator Brian Jones, which would require parole board votes to be made public.
Hoover is also co-authoring AB 2570 with Assemblymember Tom Lackey, which would raise the minimum age for elderly parole eligibility from 50 to 65. Another measure, SB 1278, authored with Senator Roger Niello, would exclude certain serious crimes, including sex offenses, from elderly parole eligibility.
“We must put a stop to the release of violent predators back into our community,” Hoover said.
Vogelsang was convicted in 1999 of molesting at least six young boys between the ages of 5 and 11 in Citrus Heights during the 1990s. He was known to build trust with parents and lure children into his vehicle under pretenses, such as helping pick out a gift, then assault them at his residence.
During the investigation, deputies found boys’ underwear in his possession, which he admitted belonged to his victims. He was convicted of numerous counts of kidnapping, forcible lewd acts on children, and other related charges, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
A date for commissioners to hold a rescission hearing on Vogelsang’s case hasn’t been set.
