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CNN Live Saturday
Child Molester Moving Into Soledad Raises Questions
Aired August 16, 2003 - 14:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTY PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Now to another controversy in California. People in Soledad are outraged after a convicted serial child molester was put into their bark yard. Now residence are protesting the arrival of 44 year old Brian Devreis. The state put Devreis in Soledad after he was refused housing in 100 other places. Debrease now lives in this trailer, it's next to a prison.
He has completed the state's sexually violent predator program, but Soledad officials say he could still pose a threat. We are joined now by Soledad's city councilman Chris Bourke, and Mr. Devreis' attorney Brian Matthews. Gentleman thank you so much for being with us today. We appreciate it.
Let's start with you if we could please, Mr. Matthews. Brian Devries of course received quite a hostile reaction from people there. Is he really aware of the implications and what of people are thinking of him? And what about his safety?
BRIAN MATTHEWS, BRIAN DEVRIES ATTORNEY: Well he is very much aware of what people are thinking and the concerns of the community. He's hopeful that the concerns will die down as people realize he is less of a threat than they believe him to be.
PAUL: OK. Mr. Bork, let's talk about the concerns of the public there and their safety concerns. Do they think that more safeguards need to be put in place?
CHRIS BOURKE, SOLEDAD CITY COUNCILMAN: Yes ma'am they do. There was a serious lack of information on the part of the California Department of Mental Health. And lack of information breeds fear, and the citizens of Soledad are afraid of Brian Devreis. Violated his probation three times, convicted of molesting nine children. He's admitted to 50 more. We are seriously concerned about having his presence so close to some of our children.
Very close, very nearby, there are 25 families of workers at the prison. There is a farm labor camp where the children can see him and he can see the children, and that is a serious concern that you are putting temptation right in front of a man who has had be trouble with young boys.
PAUL: Mr. Matthews talk to me about the recovery treatment, or the treatment that Brian Devreis has taken upon himself, really even, to try to rehabitate himself, I understand there was surgery involved. MATTHEWS: Well, that's correct. Brian has undergone surgical castration which was his own choice, there was no quid pro quo about getting castrated, getting out. That castration has basically eliminated his sex drive and the fantasies that plaqued him for years.
The studies would also indicate that the castration brings his level of risk down to that of, essentially, the average person. The residents of Soledad really do not have to be afraid of Brian. They should be more afraid of people they don't know are there.
PAUL: Mr. Bourke? Would you like to respond?
BOURKE: I would ma'am, we were notified yesterday by members of the Department of Mental Health that the surgical castration lessened his sex drive, it did not eliminate his sex drive. There's a difference there ma'am, he still does has a sex drive although it is lower. We are still seriously concerned about his placement in our community.
PAUL: So seriously concerned that you may be contemplating legal action. What is left legally to do in this case?
BOURKE: Well, ma'am that's up to our legal firm of Myers, Nobey (ph). And I don't want to telegraph, too much because that would be giving things away, but we are contemplating legal action as well as political action especially in regards to getting the laws changed.
PAUL: Mr. Matthews, truly, is he a threat to this, or any community?
MATTHEWS: Brian is not a threat. Part of the reason is the supervision he will be under has never been seen -- the extent of which has never been seen in the state of California. The treatment he has completed, the castration, and I would indicate that he has been tested for arousal to certain stimuli and shows no arousal whatsoever.
Brian is sincere in his hope not to reoffend and wants to be given the chance to succeed and we are confident that the residents of Soledad will give him that opportunity.
PAUL: But Mr. Matthews he's also, almost being used, it seems, as a guinea pig. We don't really know of any other stories of someone who has been convicted as he has been and then let back out into society. I know that his father was with him on Tuesday. What other kind of support is he getting?
MATTHEWS: He's getting a lot of support from the Department of Mental Health, his treatment providers. He's getting support from his family. He doesn't have a lot of support, obviously, in the community and he doesn't have family in the area, but he's getting all the support that he needs.
PAUL: All right, and Mr. Bourke, obviously Mr. Devries has to live somewhere. I understand that he's hoping as you this as a springboard, Soledad, because he wants to eventually move back to Washington. Do you have any better options to offer?
BOURKE: Ma'am, right now he is surrounded buy 13,000 hostile residents in the city of Soledad who are deeply concerned. I am surprised that the California Department of Mental Health -- when the law was passed in 1996, this is 2003, be their first released they had seven year to come up with a strategic plan for the placement of the 400 sexually violent predators, and they have not done that, yet. They had six months to find a location for Mr. Devreis. They have not done that.
I'm concerned there is no strategic plan not just for Sodedad, but for the rest of the state of California. What are they going to do with the other 400 sexually violent predators?
PAUL: Mr. Matthews, if he is forced out of state by chance won't that be a problem for his probation and the monitoring that he's now undergoing?
MATTHEWS: Well, it could be more difficult to monitor him. That's part of the reason why he wasn't sent to Washington right away. I think that the plan they have got now is a plan that will work. Essentially, the state is the landlord. The problem they had before in finding housing was that private landlords would back out once the press got a hold of the case, and hopefully Brian will do well and make it easier for them to find private landlords to rent to these people so we don't have the same situation, again.
PAUL: All right, Brian Matthews, Mr. Chris Bourke thank you both so much for your insight here, we appreciate it very much. Best of luck to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 16, 2003 - 14:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTY PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Now to another controversy in California. People in Soledad are outraged after a convicted serial child molester was put into their bark yard. Now residence are protesting the arrival of 44 year old Brian Devreis. The state put Devreis in Soledad after he was refused housing in 100 other places. Debrease now lives in this trailer, it's next to a prison.
He has completed the state's sexually violent predator program, but Soledad officials say he could still pose a threat. We are joined now by Soledad's city councilman Chris Bourke, and Mr. Devreis' attorney Brian Matthews. Gentleman thank you so much for being with us today. We appreciate it.
Let's start with you if we could please, Mr. Matthews. Brian Devries of course received quite a hostile reaction from people there. Is he really aware of the implications and what of people are thinking of him? And what about his safety?
BRIAN MATTHEWS, BRIAN DEVRIES ATTORNEY: Well he is very much aware of what people are thinking and the concerns of the community. He's hopeful that the concerns will die down as people realize he is less of a threat than they believe him to be.
PAUL: OK. Mr. Bork, let's talk about the concerns of the public there and their safety concerns. Do they think that more safeguards need to be put in place?
CHRIS BOURKE, SOLEDAD CITY COUNCILMAN: Yes ma'am they do. There was a serious lack of information on the part of the California Department of Mental Health. And lack of information breeds fear, and the citizens of Soledad are afraid of Brian Devreis. Violated his probation three times, convicted of molesting nine children. He's admitted to 50 more. We are seriously concerned about having his presence so close to some of our children.
Very close, very nearby, there are 25 families of workers at the prison. There is a farm labor camp where the children can see him and he can see the children, and that is a serious concern that you are putting temptation right in front of a man who has had be trouble with young boys.
PAUL: Mr. Matthews talk to me about the recovery treatment, or the treatment that Brian Devreis has taken upon himself, really even, to try to rehabitate himself, I understand there was surgery involved. MATTHEWS: Well, that's correct. Brian has undergone surgical castration which was his own choice, there was no quid pro quo about getting castrated, getting out. That castration has basically eliminated his sex drive and the fantasies that plaqued him for years.
The studies would also indicate that the castration brings his level of risk down to that of, essentially, the average person. The residents of Soledad really do not have to be afraid of Brian. They should be more afraid of people they don't know are there.
PAUL: Mr. Bourke? Would you like to respond?
BOURKE: I would ma'am, we were notified yesterday by members of the Department of Mental Health that the surgical castration lessened his sex drive, it did not eliminate his sex drive. There's a difference there ma'am, he still does has a sex drive although it is lower. We are still seriously concerned about his placement in our community.
PAUL: So seriously concerned that you may be contemplating legal action. What is left legally to do in this case?
BOURKE: Well, ma'am that's up to our legal firm of Myers, Nobey (ph). And I don't want to telegraph, too much because that would be giving things away, but we are contemplating legal action as well as political action especially in regards to getting the laws changed.
PAUL: Mr. Matthews, truly, is he a threat to this, or any community?
MATTHEWS: Brian is not a threat. Part of the reason is the supervision he will be under has never been seen -- the extent of which has never been seen in the state of California. The treatment he has completed, the castration, and I would indicate that he has been tested for arousal to certain stimuli and shows no arousal whatsoever.
Brian is sincere in his hope not to reoffend and wants to be given the chance to succeed and we are confident that the residents of Soledad will give him that opportunity.
PAUL: But Mr. Matthews he's also, almost being used, it seems, as a guinea pig. We don't really know of any other stories of someone who has been convicted as he has been and then let back out into society. I know that his father was with him on Tuesday. What other kind of support is he getting?
MATTHEWS: He's getting a lot of support from the Department of Mental Health, his treatment providers. He's getting support from his family. He doesn't have a lot of support, obviously, in the community and he doesn't have family in the area, but he's getting all the support that he needs.
PAUL: All right, and Mr. Bourke, obviously Mr. Devries has to live somewhere. I understand that he's hoping as you this as a springboard, Soledad, because he wants to eventually move back to Washington. Do you have any better options to offer?
BOURKE: Ma'am, right now he is surrounded buy 13,000 hostile residents in the city of Soledad who are deeply concerned. I am surprised that the California Department of Mental Health -- when the law was passed in 1996, this is 2003, be their first released they had seven year to come up with a strategic plan for the placement of the 400 sexually violent predators, and they have not done that, yet. They had six months to find a location for Mr. Devreis. They have not done that.
I'm concerned there is no strategic plan not just for Sodedad, but for the rest of the state of California. What are they going to do with the other 400 sexually violent predators?
PAUL: Mr. Matthews, if he is forced out of state by chance won't that be a problem for his probation and the monitoring that he's now undergoing?
MATTHEWS: Well, it could be more difficult to monitor him. That's part of the reason why he wasn't sent to Washington right away. I think that the plan they have got now is a plan that will work. Essentially, the state is the landlord. The problem they had before in finding housing was that private landlords would back out once the press got a hold of the case, and hopefully Brian will do well and make it easier for them to find private landlords to rent to these people so we don't have the same situation, again.
PAUL: All right, Brian Matthews, Mr. Chris Bourke thank you both so much for your insight here, we appreciate it very much. Best of luck to you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
