Convicted rapist won't move into Santa Cruz County home after homeowner revokes contract

From the web editors

Click here for the latest information on this story.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KPIX) — A homeowner has backed out of an agreement to house a convicted kidnapper and rapist in a Santa Cruz County city, forcing him to house him elsewhere, the county district attorney's office said.

Michael Thomas Cheek, an alleged sex offender, was originally scheduled to be housed in a rental home at 204 Forest Drive in the city of Aptos if the court approved. The public recommendation came from officials at the California Department of State Hospitals and Liberty Healthcare, which runs the state's conditional release program for suspected sex offenders.

This met with resistance from prosecutors and local residents, who insisted that Cheek be housed elsewhere.

An Aug. 28 letter from Liberty Healthcare to the court states that the owner of Cheek's proposed residence in Aptos has requested that “her lease with Mr. Cheek be rescinded, thereby rendering the property unavailable for rental.”

“Liberty has followed internal procedures for property repossession and the homeowner has returned the reservation money paid for the property. Liberty respectfully requests that the above-referenced property be withdrawn from court consideration,” the letter states.

The prosecution welcomed the development and stated that the proposed location for Cheeks's detention was no longer being considered.

“There are currently no proposed placements pending court approval. Cheek will continue to be treated as a sex offender by the Department of State Hospitals in a locked psychiatric facility,” prosecutors said.

Cheek was convicted of kidnapping, rape, and forced oral sex in 1980. Shortly after his conviction and the start of his prison sentence, he escaped from a Contra Costa County detention center and raped a 15-year-old child in Lake County. He was subsequently sentenced to a lengthy prison term.

In 1997, Cheek was declared a sexually violent predator under the state's Sexually Violent Predator Act. He was also placed in sex offender treatment.

Please note: This content is subject to a strict local market embargo. If you live in the same market as the author of this article, you are not allowed to use it on any platform.