A depraved pedophile sentenced to 350 years in prison for abducting and sexually abusing a friend’s five-year-old daughter may soon be released under California’s conscious awareness law, despite pleas from his victim’s family for him to stay behind bars.
Charles William Mix was expected to die in prison for kidnapping his roommate’s daughter in 2003 and smuggling her across state lines into Utah. KABC reported.
“He befriended her father, gained her trust, trained her, and then he kidnapped a child from her own home,” said the victim’s sister, Claire Stansbury, who was just 9 years old when her brother was abducted.
Mix could be released under California’s progressive elderly parole program, which protects older inmates, even those who have committed such despicable crimes.
Mix was 49 at the time of the abuse but is now 69 and is eligible for the “leniency for crime” program, which refers inmates 50 and older who have served 20 consecutive years of their sentences to the parole board.
The victim, now 27, is still too traumatized to speak about the incident, and the news that her attacker may be granted parole is a new pain for the victim and her family, her sister said.
“We were recovering from that,” Stansberry told KABC. “We were recovering from that, and now we have to tackle it again to keep him in prison.”
The victim’s family has pleaded with authorities to keep Sumit behind bars, arguing that the priority should be the victim’s and not the welfare of a justly punished criminal.
“The California Legislature is concerned about these criminals being sentenced to life in prison and whether that’s fair to them,” Stansbury said. “What really needs to be debated is the life sentences for victims who had no choice.”
Stansberry’s sister was just 5 years old when she was abducted from her home in Riverside, California, on June 2, 2003. An Amber Alert was issued the following day before she was found hundreds of miles away in Litchfield, Utah.
Authorities found sexually explicit photos of the girl and love letters written by Mix, who reportedly later confessed to sleeping naked next to her.
Mix was convicted of a number of charges, including intentional child abuse, kidnapping with intent to robbery and rape, and lewd acts with a child under the age of 14, and was sentenced to 350 years in prison.
Stansberry is now scheduled to testify before the parole hearing board on her sister’s behalf.
“She’s tried to talk to people about it a few times, but she’s like, ‘This is harder than I thought it would be. I’m not ready. But please, I want you to do it,'” Stansberry said.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office also opposed Mix’s early release, calling the decision “egregious” and calling on the state to stop re-traumatizing the victim and her family.
“Our office firmly supports victims who must attend parole hearings to keep dangerous felons behind bars,” the district attorney’s office said.
“Our office has a team of dedicated attorneys and victim experts who oppose the early release of dangerous felons. Our office is committed to protecting victims and ending the practice of early parole.”
Mix’s parole board hearing is scheduled for Sept. 25.
