Santa Cruz Sheriff Battles Proposed Release of Elderly Rapist Near Girl Scout Camp

Michael Thomas Cheek, now 74, has spent decades behind bars for a string of violent rapes that began in the early 1980s. After a 1980 beach assault on Seabright and a 1981 kidnapping‑rape of a 15‑year‑old, the former Concord resident was labeled a sexually violent predator and sentenced to life.

In 2019 Cheek completed a sex‑offender treatment program at a locked psychiatric facility and was cleared for supervised housing. The next step? A modest house on Terrace Grove Road in Los Gatos, a wealthy enclave tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Sheriff Chris Clark of Santa Cruz County isn’t buying it. He’s filed an objection, telling the court that the proposed site sits amid dense forest, steep hills and narrow, winding roads. “If Mr. Cheek were to reoffend, our deputies could be hamstrung by unreliable cell service, spotty GPS and the sheer difficulty of navigating that terrain,” Clark said to KRON 4.

The sheriff’s worries go beyond logistics. The address is a stone’s throw from a public school, a Girl Scout camp, a church and a neighborhood park where families gather. “Narrow roads, abandoned structures and even recreational vehicles could further complicate a search or apprehension,” he added.

It isn’t the first time officials have balked at placing Cheek in Santa Cruz County. Earlier proposals — a house on Wild Iris Lane in Bonny Doon and another on Forest Drive in Aptos near the beach — were shelved after vocal community opposition.

Now the matter is headed to Superior Court Judge Nancy De La Pena on Oct. 30. She’ll weigh the sheriff’s safety concerns against the legal standards for supervised release. If she denies the request, Cheek will remain in the psychiatric facility; if she approves it, he could move into the Los Gatos home under strict monitoring.

The case has sparked a broader debate about how and where society reintegrates the most dangerous offenders. While some argue that completion of treatment should merit a chance at a normal life, others — especially those living near the proposed site — fear a repeat of past horrors.

For now, the mountains keep their silence, and the community waits to see whether the court will close the door on Cheek’s new address or leave it slightly ajar.