One of the 17 men who were arrested in Turlock earlier this month as part of a child sexual predator sting was Gerad Slayton, the leader of Modesto’s LGBTQ resource center.
Stanislaus County Jail records show that Slayton is still detained after being arrested on Jan. 7 and is held on $250,000 bail.
The backstory: Slayton is the executive director of the Rainbow Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides mental health and physical health services to the local LGBTQ community.
He was recently appointed as the executive director near the end of last year. Slayton first joined the center in July 2022.
The big picture: The Turlock Police Department conducted an online chat operation on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 to catch predators who were seeking to meet with underaged children for sex.
The operation involved the Sacramento Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit, State Parole and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit.
What they’re saying: Following Slayton’s arrest, the Rainbow Resource Center released a statement saying his actions occurred outside of working hours and did not take place at the center.
“The Rainbow Resource Center is committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all members of our community. We want to assure our community that we take these allegations with the utmost seriousness,” the center said. “Mr. Slayton’s actions do not represent our organization’s values or mission. In accordance with our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and integrity, we are addressing the issue within the Rainbow Resource Center.”
