California Sheriff Opposes Housing Convicted Rapist Near Girl Scout Camp
Sheriff Chris Clark voices concerns over the proposed placement of Michael Thomas Cheek in a taxpayer-funded home near schools and a youth facility.
A Santa Cruz County sheriff is actively opposing a state plan to relocate a convicted rapist from a psychiatric facility to a rental home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The proposed property is located near a Girl Scout camp and local schools, raising significant concerns for Sheriff Chris Clark.
State officials are considering transferring Michael Thomas Cheek, 74, to a rental home valued at over $800,000. Sheriff Clark stated that the rugged terrain of the area could impede law enforcement response times in the event of another crime. "The community for which he's being considered to be released, it's a really tight-knit community," Clark said. "It's not necessarily the easiest place for us to get to you know if and when something were to happen."
The sheriff also expressed unease about the proposed electronic monitoring of Cheek, citing the unreliability of technology in the mountainous region. "When you talk about our mountain communities, it's not uncommon that during the winter, you know, these folks lose power. The cell connectivity is extremely poor up there. And so, when you think about monitoring him electronically, how effective are those systems if you have no electricity? And how about if people can't call for help if they suspect Mr. Cheek is up to something when cell service is poor?"
Cheek has a history of violent offenses. In 1980, he was convicted of raping a woman at gunpoint. While incarcerated, he escaped and subsequently raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint. He was later classified as a sexually violent predator. He completed a sex offender treatment program in 2019. Previous attempts to house him in Santa Cruz County have been unsuccessful.
Sheriff Clark emphasized that Cheek has no ties to the county other than his past crimes. "Mr. Cheek has no tie to our county. He's not from Santa Cruz County. And so his only tie here is that he frankly abducted somebody and raped them. And so he victimized people here. And so to me, it is completely unfair and shouldn't be the case where a county that somebody's victimized people is then burdened with the thought of having to house him here in one of the most expensive places frankly in the country to live, which we are," Clark stated.
A superior court judge is scheduled to hear arguments regarding Cheek's proposed housing on October 30. Clark has reached out to Cheek's attorney for comment regarding the matter. A mugshot of Michael Thomas Cheek shows him at 74 years old.