Stanislaus County community concerned about release of SVPs

TURLOCK, Calif. – Neighbors in a Stanislaus County community are hoping to prevent not one, but two convicted sex offenders from moving in.

Neighbors are concerned about two men, Kevin Scott Gray and Timothy Roger Weathers, who could be housed west of Turlock, as the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said the state has recommended the two men be released from the state hospital.

In the small gymnasium of Chatom Elementary School, just outside Turlock city limits, several community members shared their concerns about Gray and Weathers at a town hall meeting.

“Is he being monitored with some kind of ankle bracelet?” asked one participant.

There was a mixture of anger, confusion and frustration among residents who attended the meeting about the two convicted sex offenders potentially moving into their small rural community.

“I was just very shocked that something like that even happened,” said another participant.

“It’s about raising awareness and using your voice to advocate for what’s right for your community,” says Kelley Coelho, a private investigator.

“It was very disheartening to know that we were fighting against something that was being funded with our taxpayers’ money,” said Candace Gonsalves, who is against the relocation.

ABC10 first reported that Kevin Scott Gray might be placed in a home near Turlock.

Gray was convicted of abusing four girls between the ages of 8 and 11 in Wyoming, Los Angeles and Stanislaus counties.

A psychologist at the Department of State Hospitals diagnosed him with a “paedophilic disorder” and said he was a danger to others.

According to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, Weathers, 61, was convicted of child molestation in San Diego County in the 1990s. While on probation in that case, Weathers was convicted of molesting two different boys in Stanislaus County, according to prosecutors.

According to officials, Weathers admitted to doctors during treatment in 2007 that he had abused between 20 and 45 boys.

The proposed location to house Gray and Weathers has not been officially announced, but community members say it is a property on North Central Avenue. Neighbors say that is not possible because one of the houses nearby is being used as a residential school.

“The house is not adequately fenced or anything like that because it is surrounded by an orchard, which means there are many entrances and exits there. So he can come and go anywhere and has access to the children around him,” Gonsalves said.

Liberty Healthcare, which has partnered with the Department of State Hospitals, was unavailable for an interview Thursday evening.

A protest rally is planned for Friday morning near the planned site.

Later this afternoon, elected representatives of this community will meet to discuss the matter.

SEE MORE: Sexually violent offender could be released in Stanislaus County