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Oakland Officials Serve Mass Eviction Notice To Priest
Oakland Officials Get Down And Dirty At Local Abbey!
Oakland Officials Serve Mass Eviction Notice To Priest
By Lynda Carson March 16, 2004
Oakland Ca--On March 15, the day before the vote for the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance (NEO) is to take place at Oakland City Hall, hysterical Oakland Officials pulled a fast one and served an Eviction Notice intended to displace at least 30 residents of St. Patricks Abbey Housing Program at 3700 E. 12th Street, in East Oakland.
Father Donald Weeks of the Abbey stated that he believes that the mass eviction was a political move by Oakland Officials attempting to chase away a former prison inmate by name of Carey Verse who has been labeled as a sexual predator. Verse only days ago moved into the Abbey. Weeks expressed anger that the recent mob assault at the St. Patricks Abbey Housing Program whipped up by City Officials had also resulted in someone snipping their phone lines and cutting off their communications with the outside world.
City Officials have defiled the sanctity of the Holy grounds at the Abbey, said Weeks.
Oakland Council Members plan to cast a final vote to set up a police state like eviction program on March 16 known as the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance (NEO), and wasted no time in promoting the NEO by conducting one last mass eviction just one day before the vote is to take place in hope of convincing anti-NEO forces that the NEO is needed.
The NEO if passed would allow the City and Police to target anyone it deems to be a nuisance, and would require landlords to evict them. Presently, the City has to use due process and prove in a court of law that a public nuisance actually exists at a property before the courts can take any action to evict all the renters at the targeted location. Oakland Officials want to get around due process and the courts, to obtain the power to evict anyone they please.
Oakland Council President Ignacio De La Fuente whipped up a mob of locals to protest outside of Verse's latest residence at St. Patricks Abbey, and then followed up by serving an Eviction Notice to Father Donald Weeks and all the residents at the East Oakland location.
Within a few hours, Verse was packed up and wisked away by nightfall to an unknown location after receipt of the Eviction Notice in hope that the rest of the residents and Father Donald Weeks would be spared by any further assaults and harassment by Oakland City Officials.
Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente had already threatened only days before to do whatever it takes to get Verse out of his latest residence, and out of the blue De La Fuente quickly followed through with a scheme to accuse Father Donald Weeks of violating Oakland's occupancy laws and served Weeks and the rest of the residents an eviction notice.
Like Father Weeks, local activists also believe that this was a politicaly motivated mass eviction that took place on the eve of the NEO vote so that extremists in the Oakland City Council will claim that Carey Verse could have been evicted by City Officials without all the others facing eviction had the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance been in place.
As recently as February 17, the first vote for the NEO took place, and while speaking at the podium before the full City Council, Steve Edrington of the Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County exclaimed that if the NEO was in place then, they could already evict Carey Verse from his then residence in Oakland at a downtown Hotel.
Activists already believe that Oakland Officials got down and dirty to use Carey Verse as a poster child to whip up a frenzy of support for the NEO vote taking place on Tuesday March 16 at Oakland City Hall, and condemn the eviction actions as little more than an underhanded ploy to hoodwink the public.
Said a source wanting to remain anonymous, "We know how these twisted politicians operate in Oakland and we already believe that they will try to use Carey Verse in an effort to paint anyone against them or the NEO as a supporter of sexual predators. It's the same tactic used by the Republicans during the Willie Horton fiasco, and we are not fooled by this kind of dirty politics".
Activists urge Oaklander's to appear at the March 16 Oakland City Council Meeting to oppose the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance and it's extremist supporters.
By Lynda Carson March 16, 2004
Oakland Ca--On March 15, the day before the vote for the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance (NEO) is to take place at Oakland City Hall, hysterical Oakland Officials pulled a fast one and served an Eviction Notice intended to displace at least 30 residents of St. Patricks Abbey Housing Program at 3700 E. 12th Street, in East Oakland.
Father Donald Weeks of the Abbey stated that he believes that the mass eviction was a political move by Oakland Officials attempting to chase away a former prison inmate by name of Carey Verse who has been labeled as a sexual predator. Verse only days ago moved into the Abbey. Weeks expressed anger that the recent mob assault at the St. Patricks Abbey Housing Program whipped up by City Officials had also resulted in someone snipping their phone lines and cutting off their communications with the outside world.
City Officials have defiled the sanctity of the Holy grounds at the Abbey, said Weeks.
Oakland Council Members plan to cast a final vote to set up a police state like eviction program on March 16 known as the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance (NEO), and wasted no time in promoting the NEO by conducting one last mass eviction just one day before the vote is to take place in hope of convincing anti-NEO forces that the NEO is needed.
The NEO if passed would allow the City and Police to target anyone it deems to be a nuisance, and would require landlords to evict them. Presently, the City has to use due process and prove in a court of law that a public nuisance actually exists at a property before the courts can take any action to evict all the renters at the targeted location. Oakland Officials want to get around due process and the courts, to obtain the power to evict anyone they please.
Oakland Council President Ignacio De La Fuente whipped up a mob of locals to protest outside of Verse's latest residence at St. Patricks Abbey, and then followed up by serving an Eviction Notice to Father Donald Weeks and all the residents at the East Oakland location.
Within a few hours, Verse was packed up and wisked away by nightfall to an unknown location after receipt of the Eviction Notice in hope that the rest of the residents and Father Donald Weeks would be spared by any further assaults and harassment by Oakland City Officials.
Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente had already threatened only days before to do whatever it takes to get Verse out of his latest residence, and out of the blue De La Fuente quickly followed through with a scheme to accuse Father Donald Weeks of violating Oakland's occupancy laws and served Weeks and the rest of the residents an eviction notice.
Like Father Weeks, local activists also believe that this was a politicaly motivated mass eviction that took place on the eve of the NEO vote so that extremists in the Oakland City Council will claim that Carey Verse could have been evicted by City Officials without all the others facing eviction had the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance been in place.
As recently as February 17, the first vote for the NEO took place, and while speaking at the podium before the full City Council, Steve Edrington of the Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County exclaimed that if the NEO was in place then, they could already evict Carey Verse from his then residence in Oakland at a downtown Hotel.
Activists already believe that Oakland Officials got down and dirty to use Carey Verse as a poster child to whip up a frenzy of support for the NEO vote taking place on Tuesday March 16 at Oakland City Hall, and condemn the eviction actions as little more than an underhanded ploy to hoodwink the public.
Said a source wanting to remain anonymous, "We know how these twisted politicians operate in Oakland and we already believe that they will try to use Carey Verse in an effort to paint anyone against them or the NEO as a supporter of sexual predators. It's the same tactic used by the Republicans during the Willie Horton fiasco, and we are not fooled by this kind of dirty politics".
Activists urge Oaklander's to appear at the March 16 Oakland City Council Meeting to oppose the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance and it's extremist supporters.
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OAKLAND
Ex-con talks, says he's sorry
Sex predator promises to lead a Christian life
Delfin Vigil, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, March 15, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convicted sex predator Cary Verse emerged Sunday in Oakland from weeks of silence to publicly apologize for his violent crimes and ask for a chance to prove that he is not a menace to society.
"I can't hide forever," Verse said Sunday near the entrance of St. Patrick's Abbey in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood, where he was invited to stay by the church's pastor, Rev. Donald Weeks.
"I promise that I will live a good life. I want to live a Christian life. I will never commit a crime again," Verse said.
Wearing a necktie, vest, slacks and dress shoes, the somewhat nervous Verse said he decided to come forward to take pressure off Weeks, whose abbey is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. The pastor has been sharply criticized by Oakland city and public school officials for allowing Verse to temporarily reside at the abbey, in light of its being across the street from Ascend Elementary School.
"I'm glad Mr. Verse apologized and that he is determined to not repeat his offenses," said Oakland School Board President Dan Segal. "But my understanding is that he has not been able to control his impulses. It certainly makes no sense to house him near a school because even if he doesn't pose as much of a danger to children as a child molester, (that) doesn't mean that the danger does not still exist."
Verse, 33, has moved around the Bay Area in search of a permanent home since being released from Atascadero State Hospital last month, after becoming only the second sexually violent predator deemed fit for release from custody under a 1995 state law.
Verse is a four-time convicted sex offender with a history of sexual violence starting at 17, when he assaulted a 14-year-old teammate on his high school track team. A sentence of three years and eight months in prison followed after he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old at a detention camp in Alameda County.
After his parole in Feb. 1992, Verse sexually assaulted a man at a homeless shelter near Richmond, resulting in a new sentence of 12 years in prison. He was paroled in 1998 and sent to Atascadero State Hospital, where he won praise for his progress in therapy. He agreed to be chemically castrated and now wears an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Since his release last month, Verse has been confronted by hundreds of protesters in Marin County and Oakland, where he temporarily resided, demanding that he not be allowed to live in their neighborhoods.
"If I were in their shoes I would feel the same way," Verse said. "But they don't have to worry because I do not pose any danger. I deserve a fair chance."
Abbey a refuge
Weeks invited Verse to stay at the church, where he runs a halfway house for recovering alcoholics and addicts, after hearing about Verse's predicament on the news. Calling his actions "God's duty," Weeks made it clear that Verse is welcome to stay at the abbey indefinitely. Weeks -- who held a news conference outside the abbey Sunday in which he was joined by Verse -- said he will hold a public meeting and prayer every day at 5 p.m. in front of the church until Verse's housing problem is solved.
"Mr. Verse is repentant for what he has done. He has done his time, and he has paid his price,'' Weeks said. "Mr. Verse can stay here for as long as it takes to help him find a permanent place to live. We love him, and we're confident he'll do the right thing."
During the news conference, Weeks accused Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente of misleading the public by announcing this weekend that Verse would be out of the church within 48 hours.
De La Fuente said he was told on Friday by Mary Martin, the building's owner, that she would have Verse off the property within 48 hours.
But on Sunday, Martin told The Chronicle that she had changed her mind. She confirmed that she had told De La Fuente on Friday that she would issue a 48-hour ultimatum on Verse's stay, but she said she based that decision on information provided to her by De La Fuente.
Martin said she changed her mind when she found out that Verse was chemically castrated, not a child molester and under strict surveillance, which she says De La Fuente did not mention. Martin did not want to comment further.
"De La Fuente scared the heck out of Mary by telling her that I had brought in a pervert who was going to rape children in the neighborhood," Weeks said. "Of course that would frighten a 72-year-old lady. But after speaking to me on Saturday, she knows the facts and has agreed to allow Mr. Verse to stay for two weeks and longer, if necessary."
On Sunday, De La Fuente said: "All I know is that according to the state, Verse is one of the two most dangerous predators in California. You tell me if he's a danger. Honestly, I don't want to find out. I will do whatever the hell needs to be done to get him out of that location."
De La Fuente said he believes Weeks is allowing Verse to stay at the church to collect on the rent -- an accusation that Weeks denied.
According to Weeks, Verse pays $450 in monthly rent for a private room and an extra $100 for food. Weeks said that the money he collects from all of the church's rooms totals an average of $9,000 a month and that it costs about $11,000 a month to use the building.
Liberty Healthcare Corp., which holds a contract with the state to find Verse a place to live, told Weeks that extra money could be given for Verse's personal needs at the discretion of a facilitator.
Humanitarian reasons cited
"I'm doing this for humanitarian reasons. I'm a priest -- not a banker, " Weeks said.
Some Oakland officials, including Mayor Jerry Brown, have said that Liberty Healthcare should place Verse in Contra Costa County, where Verse was arrested.
Verse spoke to reporters for more than 30 minutes, explaining how his chemical castration medication controls his sexual urges and demonstrating how his electronic bracelet works with a satellite-tracking device that he carries in a black Velcro bag across his shoulder.
No protesters were on scene. One police car with two officers was parked across the street during the press conference.
According to Verse, he is allowed to do things alone in public, such as going to the grocery store. But he chooses not to out of respect for the concerns of the community.
"I will continue to pay my debt for the rest of my life, because I know that my victims are still paying for it. I apologize to the victims and their families, but getting bounced around like this doesn't work," Verse said.
After answering questions from reporters, Verse, who now describes himself as a devout Jehovah's Witness, sat on a couch inside the church as nine men joined in circle outside singing and praying for him.
"I feel sorry for the guy," said Oakland Police Chief Richard Word, who spoke with Verse last week. "I didn't feel sorry for him before we met. When all of the protesters were demonstrating, he looked at me and said, 'Chief, nobody out there knows my heart.' ''
But Word added: "However, I still think it is too soon and too irresponsible to house him across from an elementary school."
E-mail Delfin Vigil at dvigil [at] sfchronicle.com.
Page B - 1
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http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2018803,00.html
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK TO ARTICLE PRINT ARTICLE
Article Last Updated: Monday, March 15, 2004 - 5:28:54 AM PST
Sexual predator asks for second chance
By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
OAKLAND -- On Saturday, more than 100 parents, students and city officials came the Fruitvale district to voice their opposition to the presence of convicted sexual predator Cary Verse.
But on Sunday, it was Verse who spoke out for the first time, assuring the public it has nothing to fear from him.
Saying he just wants a second chance, Verse told reporters he is "very motivated" to do the right thing and underwent treatment to ensure he will "never hurt anybody ever" again.
Protests against his presence have only crescendoed since Verse began his ordeal at a Mill Valley motel following his release last month. The chorus of opposition continued when he relocated to the Jefferson Inn in Oakland, and hasn't quieted now that he is at Benedictine Refuge across from a Fruitvale elementary school.
The difference is instead of remaining silent, Verse is trying to "humanize" himself in the eyes of the public, he said.
When he spoke to reporters outside St. Patrick's Abbey on Sunday afternoon, he wore a white dress shirt, suspenders, tie and slacks and talked candidly about his experience since being released.
It's been tough, the 33-year-old Verse said.
"I can't say it's been a tragedy because I've been stronger. I've found that I am able to endure things because of my training and because of my spiritual growth. I feel really good. I feel like I could overcome anything because I've overcome this," Verse said.
Verse said he doesn't blame the public for reacting the way it has to his release from Atascadero State Hospital into their back yard. "I can understand that. I definitely empathize with that. At the same time I am doing everything I can and will do everything I can to make the community feel safe," Verse said.
Verse wears an ankle bracelet connected to a tracking device that lets authorities know his location at all times and swears his faith as a Jehovah's Witness, his chemical castration and nine years of forced counseling have made him a changed man.
"I'll never see the inside of an institution again or ... commit another crime against anybody ever again," Verse said.
Parents and community members organized a protest in East Oakland after learning that Verse was housed in a transitional home across from a school.
News reports contributed to this report.
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*************
Convicted Sex Offender Cary Verse Speaks Out
Convicted sex offender Cary Verse, whose planned release in both Contra Costa and Marin counties was sidetracked by public outcries, says he is taking it "one day at a time" in his new Oakland home during an interview on KTVU's Mornings On 2. More Details
Families Protest Sex Offender Verse's Latest Move
POSTED: 12:37 pm PST March 12, 2004
UPDATED: 7:18 pm PST March 12, 2004
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Convicted sex offender Cary Verse checked out of the Jefferson Inn Hotel early Friday morning after spending almost a month at the Oakland hotel in order to move to a church-run home in East Oakland that is near an elementary school.
Verse Move Outrages Local Families
Operated by Saint Patrick's Abbey Church, the Transitional Home and Monastery is located across the street from Ascend Elementary School. The news of Verse's arrival prompted a large protest from outraged parents, school officials, city leaders and the police chief Friday afternoon.
City officials say the group overseeing Verse has agreed that he will be moved to a different location within 48 hours. But the minister at Saint Patrick's Abbey said he expects Verse could be living there for up to a week. The minister says he doesn't believe Verse is a threat, since he is being monitored by a tracking device that will not allow him to leave the facility grounds.
Recently released from Atascadero State Hospital, Verse has spent years in custody. The sex offender must reside within the state and is required to register within 24 hours every time he changes his address, according to authorities.
His string of sexual assaults began in 1988 when, at the age of 17, he fondled a 14-year-old boy at knifepoint.
While serving time at a juvenile hall the following year, he escaped with another boy, sexually assaulting him a short time later. Verse spent a year in jail for that offense and, while on parole, received another sentence of three years for the sexual battery of a homeless man in San Pablo.
Copyright 2004 by KTVU.com and Bay City News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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OAKLAND
Ex-con talks, says he's sorry
Sex predator promises to lead a Christian life
Delfin Vigil, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, March 15, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convicted sex predator Cary Verse emerged Sunday in Oakland from weeks of silence to publicly apologize for his violent crimes and ask for a chance to prove that he is not a menace to society.
"I can't hide forever," Verse said Sunday near the entrance of St. Patrick's Abbey in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood, where he was invited to stay by the church's pastor, Rev. Donald Weeks.
"I promise that I will live a good life. I want to live a Christian life. I will never commit a crime again," Verse said.
Wearing a necktie, vest, slacks and dress shoes, the somewhat nervous Verse said he decided to come forward to take pressure off Weeks, whose abbey is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. The pastor has been sharply criticized by Oakland city and public school officials for allowing Verse to temporarily reside at the abbey, in light of its being across the street from Ascend Elementary School.
"I'm glad Mr. Verse apologized and that he is determined to not repeat his offenses," said Oakland School Board President Dan Segal. "But my understanding is that he has not been able to control his impulses. It certainly makes no sense to house him near a school because even if he doesn't pose as much of a danger to children as a child molester, (that) doesn't mean that the danger does not still exist."
Verse, 33, has moved around the Bay Area in search of a permanent home since being released from Atascadero State Hospital last month, after becoming only the second sexually violent predator deemed fit for release from custody under a 1995 state law.
Verse is a four-time convicted sex offender with a history of sexual violence starting at 17, when he assaulted a 14-year-old teammate on his high school track team. A sentence of three years and eight months in prison followed after he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old at a detention camp in Alameda County.
After his parole in Feb. 1992, Verse sexually assaulted a man at a homeless shelter near Richmond, resulting in a new sentence of 12 years in prison. He was paroled in 1998 and sent to Atascadero State Hospital, where he won praise for his progress in therapy. He agreed to be chemically castrated and now wears an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Since his release last month, Verse has been confronted by hundreds of protesters in Marin County and Oakland, where he temporarily resided, demanding that he not be allowed to live in their neighborhoods.
"If I were in their shoes I would feel the same way," Verse said. "But they don't have to worry because I do not pose any danger. I deserve a fair chance."
Abbey a refuge
Weeks invited Verse to stay at the church, where he runs a halfway house for recovering alcoholics and addicts, after hearing about Verse's predicament on the news. Calling his actions "God's duty," Weeks made it clear that Verse is welcome to stay at the abbey indefinitely. Weeks -- who held a news conference outside the abbey Sunday in which he was joined by Verse -- said he will hold a public meeting and prayer every day at 5 p.m. in front of the church until Verse's housing problem is solved.
"Mr. Verse is repentant for what he has done. He has done his time, and he has paid his price,'' Weeks said. "Mr. Verse can stay here for as long as it takes to help him find a permanent place to live. We love him, and we're confident he'll do the right thing."
During the news conference, Weeks accused Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente of misleading the public by announcing this weekend that Verse would be out of the church within 48 hours.
De La Fuente said he was told on Friday by Mary Martin, the building's owner, that she would have Verse off the property within 48 hours.
But on Sunday, Martin told The Chronicle that she had changed her mind. She confirmed that she had told De La Fuente on Friday that she would issue a 48-hour ultimatum on Verse's stay, but she said she based that decision on information provided to her by De La Fuente.
Martin said she changed her mind when she found out that Verse was chemically castrated, not a child molester and under strict surveillance, which she says De La Fuente did not mention. Martin did not want to comment further.
"De La Fuente scared the heck out of Mary by telling her that I had brought in a pervert who was going to rape children in the neighborhood," Weeks said. "Of course that would frighten a 72-year-old lady. But after speaking to me on Saturday, she knows the facts and has agreed to allow Mr. Verse to stay for two weeks and longer, if necessary."
On Sunday, De La Fuente said: "All I know is that according to the state, Verse is one of the two most dangerous predators in California. You tell me if he's a danger. Honestly, I don't want to find out. I will do whatever the hell needs to be done to get him out of that location."
De La Fuente said he believes Weeks is allowing Verse to stay at the church to collect on the rent -- an accusation that Weeks denied.
According to Weeks, Verse pays $450 in monthly rent for a private room and an extra $100 for food. Weeks said that the money he collects from all of the church's rooms totals an average of $9,000 a month and that it costs about $11,000 a month to use the building.
Liberty Healthcare Corp., which holds a contract with the state to find Verse a place to live, told Weeks that extra money could be given for Verse's personal needs at the discretion of a facilitator.
Humanitarian reasons cited
"I'm doing this for humanitarian reasons. I'm a priest -- not a banker, " Weeks said.
Some Oakland officials, including Mayor Jerry Brown, have said that Liberty Healthcare should place Verse in Contra Costa County, where Verse was arrested.
Verse spoke to reporters for more than 30 minutes, explaining how his chemical castration medication controls his sexual urges and demonstrating how his electronic bracelet works with a satellite-tracking device that he carries in a black Velcro bag across his shoulder.
No protesters were on scene. One police car with two officers was parked across the street during the press conference.
According to Verse, he is allowed to do things alone in public, such as going to the grocery store. But he chooses not to out of respect for the concerns of the community.
"I will continue to pay my debt for the rest of my life, because I know that my victims are still paying for it. I apologize to the victims and their families, but getting bounced around like this doesn't work," Verse said.
After answering questions from reporters, Verse, who now describes himself as a devout Jehovah's Witness, sat on a couch inside the church as nine men joined in circle outside singing and praying for him.
"I feel sorry for the guy," said Oakland Police Chief Richard Word, who spoke with Verse last week. "I didn't feel sorry for him before we met. When all of the protesters were demonstrating, he looked at me and said, 'Chief, nobody out there knows my heart.' ''
But Word added: "However, I still think it is too soon and too irresponsible to house him across from an elementary school."
E-mail Delfin Vigil at dvigil [at] sfchronicle.com.
Page B - 1
Get 50% off home delivery of the Chronicle for 12 weeks! ©2004 San Francisco
**************
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2018803,00.html
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK TO ARTICLE PRINT ARTICLE
Article Last Updated: Monday, March 15, 2004 - 5:28:54 AM PST
Sexual predator asks for second chance
By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
OAKLAND -- On Saturday, more than 100 parents, students and city officials came the Fruitvale district to voice their opposition to the presence of convicted sexual predator Cary Verse.
But on Sunday, it was Verse who spoke out for the first time, assuring the public it has nothing to fear from him.
Saying he just wants a second chance, Verse told reporters he is "very motivated" to do the right thing and underwent treatment to ensure he will "never hurt anybody ever" again.
Protests against his presence have only crescendoed since Verse began his ordeal at a Mill Valley motel following his release last month. The chorus of opposition continued when he relocated to the Jefferson Inn in Oakland, and hasn't quieted now that he is at Benedictine Refuge across from a Fruitvale elementary school.
The difference is instead of remaining silent, Verse is trying to "humanize" himself in the eyes of the public, he said.
When he spoke to reporters outside St. Patrick's Abbey on Sunday afternoon, he wore a white dress shirt, suspenders, tie and slacks and talked candidly about his experience since being released.
It's been tough, the 33-year-old Verse said.
"I can't say it's been a tragedy because I've been stronger. I've found that I am able to endure things because of my training and because of my spiritual growth. I feel really good. I feel like I could overcome anything because I've overcome this," Verse said.
Verse said he doesn't blame the public for reacting the way it has to his release from Atascadero State Hospital into their back yard. "I can understand that. I definitely empathize with that. At the same time I am doing everything I can and will do everything I can to make the community feel safe," Verse said.
Verse wears an ankle bracelet connected to a tracking device that lets authorities know his location at all times and swears his faith as a Jehovah's Witness, his chemical castration and nine years of forced counseling have made him a changed man.
"I'll never see the inside of an institution again or ... commit another crime against anybody ever again," Verse said.
Parents and community members organized a protest in East Oakland after learning that Verse was housed in a transitional home across from a school.
News reports contributed to this report.
RETURN TO TOP
*************
Convicted Sex Offender Cary Verse Speaks Out
Convicted sex offender Cary Verse, whose planned release in both Contra Costa and Marin counties was sidetracked by public outcries, says he is taking it "one day at a time" in his new Oakland home during an interview on KTVU's Mornings On 2. More Details
Families Protest Sex Offender Verse's Latest Move
POSTED: 12:37 pm PST March 12, 2004
UPDATED: 7:18 pm PST March 12, 2004
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Convicted sex offender Cary Verse checked out of the Jefferson Inn Hotel early Friday morning after spending almost a month at the Oakland hotel in order to move to a church-run home in East Oakland that is near an elementary school.
Verse Move Outrages Local Families
Operated by Saint Patrick's Abbey Church, the Transitional Home and Monastery is located across the street from Ascend Elementary School. The news of Verse's arrival prompted a large protest from outraged parents, school officials, city leaders and the police chief Friday afternoon.
City officials say the group overseeing Verse has agreed that he will be moved to a different location within 48 hours. But the minister at Saint Patrick's Abbey said he expects Verse could be living there for up to a week. The minister says he doesn't believe Verse is a threat, since he is being monitored by a tracking device that will not allow him to leave the facility grounds.
Recently released from Atascadero State Hospital, Verse has spent years in custody. The sex offender must reside within the state and is required to register within 24 hours every time he changes his address, according to authorities.
His string of sexual assaults began in 1988 when, at the age of 17, he fondled a 14-year-old boy at knifepoint.
While serving time at a juvenile hall the following year, he escaped with another boy, sexually assaulting him a short time later. Verse spent a year in jail for that offense and, while on parole, received another sentence of three years for the sexual battery of a homeless man in San Pablo.
Copyright 2004 by KTVU.com and Bay City News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Email This Story Print This Story
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