Parole Denied For RivCo Man Who Abducted, Sexually Assaulted Girl

RIVERSIDE, CA — A 69-year-old pedophile from Riverside who abducted his housemate's 5-year-old daughter and took her to another state, sexually assaulting her multiple times, was denied parole Wednesday but will have another opportunity to petition for early release in seven years, according to prosecutors.

Charles William Mix was convicted in 2004 of more than three dozen felony counts, including kidnapping, child rape, lewd acts on a minor and child endangerment.

Mix applied for early release under the California Board of Parole's "elderly parole program," and his hearing was Wednesday, with the board considering testimony from the defendant, Riverside County District Attorney's Office and the victim's sister, Claira Stansbury, who spoke on her sibling's behalf.

"Some people aren't able to be rehabilitated," Stansbury said. "He is a pedophile, and instead of worrying so much about the man who made his choice, they need to be focused on the victim and their families."

District Attorney Mike Hestrin said the board's decision to deny Mix's request for early release "reflects the seriousness of the crime and the continued risk he poses to public safety and his victims."

"Our responsibility is to ensure justice is served, while recognizing the emotional strain these hearings place on victims, their families and the community," Hestrin said. "It's crucial that those who commit serious offenses are held fully accountable for their actions."

The defendant is serving a 350-year sentence for the offenses he perpetrated against the victim, who is now 27 years old. Her sister said she remains too traumatized to speak publicly about what happened.

According to a Riverside Police Department arrest warrant affidavit filed in 2003, Mix was sharing a residence with the victim's father, whom he'd known for several years, on Chestnut Street and would interact with the child periodically, including walking her to school.

On the night of June 1, 2003, he left a note in his bedroom saying he was taking the girl, then abducted her from her bed after her father had tucked her in and slipped out of the house, driving to Richfield, Utah, investigators said.

The father contacted police the next day after discovering his daughter missing and Mix's note.

The 6-foot-4-inch 350-pound defendant was tracked down on June 3, when he was arrested without incident by police in Utah. The victim was with him. Detectives discovered sexually explicit photographs of the child Mix had snapped while she was under his control, according to the affidavit.

The parole board signaled that he'll have another opportunity to apply for early release in 2031.

—City News Service