Infamous Santa Rosa 'Westside Prowler' Denied Parole
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- The infamous 'Westside Prowler' who terrorized West Santa Rosa residents in the early 1990s was denied elder parole Friday by the California Department of Corrections.
Robin Re Sharp entered many homes in West Santa Rosa, often fondling or kissing sleeping women or children and then removing photographs from their bedrooms.
He was convicted of 35 crimes in 1992, including child molestation, rape, sodomy, oral copulation, attempted kidnap, residential burglary and possession of stolen property. In all, 17 victims were identified from his 2-1/2 year rampage.
The 62-year-old was on parole for an earlier kidnap and rape of a child in Washington State when he began his crime spree in Santa Rosa.
Investigators said Sharp wore a knit cap and bandana over his nose and mouth during the attacks. On one occasion, Sharp woke a young girl and was leading her down the hall when her mother happened to wake up. When the mother confronted Sharp he left the girl and calmly walked out of the house.
At the time he was arrested, Sharp had a box full of photographs of young girls.
As the investigation grew, detectives learned that Sharp was molesting three young girls on the street where he lived with his father.
"I was the prosecutor on this case," said District Attorney Ravitch. "The number of victims was staggering, and we will never truly know how many homes he entered, and how many victims he molested."
Ravitch attended Friday's parole hearing along with an adult victim and her son. During the hearing Sharp admitted additional sexual assaults of children and adults in the state of Washington, as well as to entering homes and fondling victims who never awoke.
Sharp also admitted to being a sex addict and that his sexual interest in children continued.
Originally sentenced to 129 years in state prison, on appeal the sentence was reduced to 111 years.
Due to a change in the law in 2014, Sharp suddenly became eligible for parole after serving 25 years in CDC and reaching the age of 60.
