Today, Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) delivered a letter to the Board of Parole Hearings, urging them to prioritize public safety and rescind its grant of parole for serial child molester Gregory Vogelsang ahead of his hearing tomorrow.
Vogelsang was sentenced to over 350 years in prison for molesting at least six boys between the ages of 5 and 11 in the Sacramento area in the 1990s. In November 2025, he was granted parole after serving just 27 years due to the state’s Elderly Parole law. He is 57 years old.
“Mr. Vogelsang is a repeat child predator whose actions caused immeasurable harm to vulnerable victims and their families,” Senator Niello wrote in his letter to the board. “As you review this case, I ask that you consider not only the offender, but the victims and the lasting trauma inflicted upon them. Consider the message that his release would send to survivors, their families, and communities that rely on the justice system to protect them.”
While in prison, evaluations of Vogelsang found that he posed a greater risk to the public than 80% of other sexual offenders. He also remained sexually attracted to young boys between ages 5 and 11 as recently as 2020.
The Board of Parole Hearings found him to be unfit for release in both 2022 and 2024. But on November 4, 2025, he was preliminary granted elder parole. The board voted to refer its grant of elder parole to a rescission hearing, after outcry from Senator Niello and fellow Republicans.
That hearing will take place tomorrow, Friday June 26 at 10:30am, and will determine whether the original parole grant for Vogelsang should stand, or be reversed.
“The consequences of a wrong decision in this case are irreversible. If another child becomes a victim, there is no chance to undo that harm. Public safety must remain the board's highest priority. For all these reasons, I respectfully request that the board rescind Mr. Vogelsang's parole,” Senator Niello’s letter concluded.