By James Myers, OAN Staff
Monday, August 26, 2024 10:18 AM
A pedophile serving a 350-year sentence for abducting and sexually abusing a friend’s five-year-old daughter could soon be released under California law.
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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. Korea ABC Reported.
“He befriended her father, gained her trust, trained her, and then he kidnapped a child from her home,” said the victim’s sister, Claire Stansbury, who was just 9 years old when her brother was taken.
Mix could be released under California’s progressive elderly parole system, which protects older inmates who have committed violent crimes.
The pedophile was 49 at the time of the crimes but is now 69 and is part of a “leniency program” that refers inmates over the age of 50 who have served 20 consecutive years of their sentences to the Board of Parole Hearings.
Meanwhile the victim, now 27, is too traumatised to speak about the tragedy and news that her attacker may be released has brought fresh distress to her and her family, her sister said.
“We overcame that,” Stansberry said. Korea ABC“We were recovering from that and now we have to go back into that situation to keep him in prison.”
The victim’s family has called on authorities to keep Mix in prison, arguing that victims, not criminals, should come first.
“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 2nd.andAn Amber Alert was issued on November 14, 2003, and she was located the next day, hundreds of miles away, in Litchfield, Utah.
During the investigation, authorities found sexually explicit photos of the girl and love letters written by Mix, and Mix eventually confessed to sleeping naked next to the girl.
As a result, Mix was convicted of various charges, including intentional child abuse, kidnapping with intent to robbery and rape, and indecent acts with a child under the age of 14, and was sentenced to 350 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Stansberry is 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, which also opposes Mix’s early release, also spoke out against the decision, calling it “egregious.”
“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 hearing is scheduled for September 25th.Number.
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