By Josh Hoover–
I was shocked and horrified this past month when California’s Board of Parole Hearings recommended the release of serial child sex predators David Funston and Gregory Vogelsang back into our community.
In 1999, Funston was convicted of 16 counts of child molestation and kidnapping after terrorizing multiple young victims across the Sacramento region. He received 20 years in prison plus three consecutive life terms. At his sentencing, the judge called him “the monster parents feared the most” and said, “there is no man on the face of the earth who deserves this sentence more.”
In the same year, Vogelsang was convicted on dozens of counts of sexually assaulting at least five young boys in Citrus Heights, including a child as young as 3 years old. He was sentenced to 355 years to life in prison. Neither of these sexually violent predators were ever supposed to see the light of day.
However, in 2017 Legislative Democrats passed AB 1448 establishing the Elderly Parole Program that allowed inmates over age 60 to be considered for release after serving only 25 years. Three years later Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 3234, which lowered the age of eligibility to 50 and time served to only 20 years. The Parole Board’s ability to release Funston and Vogelsang was a deliberate choice by Sacramento politicians, who placed the interests of criminals over the interests of public safety.
Thanks to the swift action of the Placer County District Attorney, Funston was immediately detained after leaving state prison. He now faces new charges stemming from the sexual assault of a young child in Roseville in 1996. Vogelsang’s parole was also delayed thanks to an organized effort by the public to oppose his release.
These are both important, albeit short-term, victories for public safety, but it should never have made it to this point. Governor Newsom and the Legislature bear responsibility to ensure Funston, Vogelsang, and other predators never get the chance to re-victimize our children.
The first step is fixing the broken policies that enabled this. I have introduced legislation that would give the Governor authority to deny parole in violent felony cases—the same power he already holds in murder cases. I have also coauthored a bill with Senator Roger Niello to exclude sex offenses involving children and other serious crimes from the Elderly Parole Program entirely.
The second step is accountability for the Newsom-appointed Parole Board. The Governor should remove every member who voted to free Funston and Vogelsang. Prior to his release, Funston himself even admitted that he remains attracted to female children and outlined his need for an “urge control plan.” In no world should a monster like him be deemed safe for release.
Every child in California should feel safe playing in local parks or walking to school. Yet the Supermajority has repeatedly passed policies that endanger families and weaken protections. We can no longer tolerate this reckless approach to public safety.
The time for reform is now. I urge my colleagues to change the law without delay. Governor Newsom must also hold the Parole Board accountable and prioritize the safety of our communities. California’s children deserve nothing less.
Assemblyman Josh Hoover represents the 7th Assembly District in Sacramento County, which includes the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova and the unincorporated communities of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Foothill Farms, Gold River, Mather, McClellan Park, North Highlands, Orangevale, and Rosemont. You can follow him on X @joshua_hoover or contact his office at [email protected].
