Convicted Napa Serial Child Molester Denied Parole For 10 Years
NAPA (CBS SF) -- Ronald Eugene Hoffman, who was convicted and sent to prison for molesting several small children, has been denied parole and will not be released for at least 10 years, Napa prosecutors announced Thursday.
Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley said the parole hearing for the 67-year-old Hoffman, who is an inmate at the California Institute for Men in Chino, was held through video platform technology.
Assistant District Attorney Paul Gero appeared at the hearing and argued against release. He emphasized the heinous and sadistic sex crimes, high degree of criminal sophistication, callous disregard for his victims, lack of insight and remorse, and extreme risk to children in the community if released.
In December, 1994, Hoffman was caught by the Napa Police Department for molesting and abusing three young children, aged 3, 4 and 6, for approximately one year.
Hoffman, who was a convicted child molester and child murderer, was on parole at the time. He videotaped his crimes and was apprehended when police were called and authorities found a single VHS tape in Hoffman's car.
Hoffman pled guilty to fifteen counts of forcible child molest and was sentenced to 385 years to life.
This was his first parole hearing. Hoffman is made eligible under the Elderly Parole Program which began on January 1, 2018 and was enacted by the California Legislature. Under the program, inmates aged 60 and older who have been in prison for at least 25 years may be eligible for parole.
The members of Parole Board agreed that Hoffman poses an unreasonable risk if released into the community. They noted that the crimes were exceptionally cruel and Hoffman lacked the understanding of why those choices were made. The Board denied his release for at least ten years.