Outrage as child sex offender running for city council brazenly holds press conference outside Fresno elementary school, cops called

An elementary school in Fresno was forced to file a police report after a child sex offender running for city council held a press conference just steps away.

Rene Campos, 41, a candidate in Fresno City Council‘s District 7 race, spoke Friday on a street outside St. John’s Cathedral to address outrage over his past, the Fresno Bee reported.

He was about 10 feet away from Big Picture Elementary School, a public charter school, which later contacted local cops.

Until 2015, under Jessica’s Law, California prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 2,000ft of any school or park in the state.

The law was later declared unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court, which ruled that residency restrictions must be applied on a case-by-case basis.

It remains unclear whether Campos is subject to any specific court orders, restraining orders or individualized restrictions related to his offense, or whether his limitations fall solely under California’s general sex offender registration requirements.

Campos, who is running to unseat incumbent Nelson Esparza, has not publicly clarified the scope of any conditions that may apply to him. The Post reached out for comment.

Esparza said the council is considering legislation to prevent people like Campos from seeking office. Other city leaders were also furious.

“It has come to my attention and even hit national news that we have a registered sex offender that is currently running for Fresno City Council,” Councilwoman Annalisa Perea said in a statement.

“While I respect anybody’s ability to serve our community, I find this quite disturbing.” The conference, held during a weekday while school was in session, was rebuked by school officials.

“We want to be unequivocally clear: Our school had absolutely nothing to do with this event. Mr. Campos was not invited. Mr. Campos is not affiliated with our academy. His presence was not welcome,” the school said in a statement.

“We are not taking this lightly. We are actively pursuing every available legal measure to safeguard our students and ensure no legal boundaries are crossed.

“Student safety is not a political issue; it is a fundamental right that we will defend without hesitation,” they added.

Campos said during the conference that the school was closed at the time and therefore he was not violating any rules.

“I would say during operational hours, absolutely,” he said when a reporter asked about his proximity to the elementary academy.

“The equal protection clause does not apply to only the popular. And the right to seek public office does not depend on whether those in power approve of you.”

He described the council’s response as “institutional overreach.”

The church outside where the conference was held also did not back Campos. Bishop Joseph Brennan and the Diocese of Fresno strongly condemned his decision.

“While the event occurred on a public sidewalk, the Diocese takes seriously its unwavering commitment to Child & Youth protection,” the statement from the Diocese read.

“Mr. Campos independently and irresponsibly chose the location for the press conference and used the Catholic Church and the school as props in his theater of politics.”

The city of Fresno is now stirred in controversy, with the spotlight on public safety — especially for minors — and the question of who is legally allowed to run for and serve in public office in California.

“This was not only a potential violation of the legal restrictions placed upon him as a registered sex offender, but a profound breach of the trust and safety our school community depends on every single day,” the superintendent of the school district said in a statement alongside the elementary school.

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