FORMER PRIEST’S APPEAL DENIED

An ex-priest who once worked in Kern County has lost his appeal to be removed from the state sex offender registry. Robert Gamel was working in Merced when he was arrested four years ago for having pictures of a teenage boy. People can be taken off the registry if the victims were older than 16 at the time of the arrest but the court says Gamel had the photos for years.

Kelli Pierce