California Gave a Child Predator Parole

With everything happening around the world, most notably between the United States and Iran, we are hearing a lot about “peace through strength.” This is the common refrain among conservatives to describe how to best conduct foreign policy and keep the world largely peaceful. But could this principle apply to us here at home, in California, as well? Is this a universal idea for successful leadership and deterrence of all kinds of evil – not just from terrorists abroad, but from criminals here at home as well?

When Government is Not Strong

The idea of “peace through strength” in foreign policy means that visible power deters aggression. When a nation demonstrates both the capability and the will to use force – not just defensively, but on the offense as well – then adversaries are less likely to test it. Strength, clearly signaled, prevents conflict before it begins. Demonstrated power prevents war. The clearer your strength and resolve, the less likely others are to challenge you. The stronger America is as a country, even in times of relative peace, the more peace will abound.

This concept has been circulating heavily this week considering the recent strikes on Iran. Now, I don’t cover national politics or foreign policy, and I don’t plan to today, as there are many other, smarter commentators who are better equipped to analyze the situation unfolding abroad. But whatever your view of the Trump administration’s recent foreign policy actions, the strikes illustrate the core principle of peace through strength: a visible willingness to act decisively on the world stage. And I think many conservatives would agree that resolve and credibility tend to produce more stability than hesitation or cowardice, especially to our enemies.

While I don’t cover national politics, I do pay attention to principles – especially when those principles apply here at home in California. What happens at the federal level shapes life in our state, but more importantly, governing philosophies have outcomes and therefore are also philosophies to either adopt or ignore. One of those philosophies is peace through strength. As just explained, peace through strength is about deterrence. It’s about making the cost of wrongdoing so clear, so predictable, that many conflicts never begin. The point is not constant force, but credible force. Strength demonstrated consistently enough that your enemies know not to mess with you.

Now, California doesn’t conduct foreign policy, even if Gavin Newsom sometimes seems eager to do so. But we do conduct criminal justice policy. And deterrence doesn’t only apply to hostile nations; it applies to individuals deciding whether to break the law. A justice system sends signals to the people under its jurisdiction. When enforcement against crime and criminals is predictable, when consequences are certain, when sentences mean what they say, then crime becomes a higher-risk calculation for those considering it. But when enforcement wavers, when sentences are negotiable, and when release becomes the default posture in our state, then just like enemy countries, criminals know they can commit crimes and get away with it.

California has drifted from strength to hesitation in its approach to crime. What we are seeing is that when our state hesitates to enforce its own laws with consistency and clarity, then disorder, chaos, and wickedness fill the gap. And, worst of all, ordinary residents are the ones who ultimately pay the price.

This isn’t just theoretical. We talk about California’s “soft-on-crime” policies a lot, and I reference the fact that criminals are allowed to walk free, making our society less safe. But today we are going to look at what this drift actually looks like in practice, because there was a breaking story out of California that grabbed my attention and just felt too important to dismiss. That is the story of David Allen Funston.

The Example of David Allen Funston

David Allen Funston was convicted of 16 counts of kidnapping and child molestation back in 1999 in Sacramento County.[1] Obviously Funston is not just your average criminal, that many counts of crimes against children is horrific – and this is precisely why he was described by the judge at his sentencing as “the monster parents fear the most.”[2]

In the summer of 1995, Funston lived in a suburb of Sacramento called North Highlands. He had moved to California from Colorado, but what is important to note is that he had moved after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman. That year, he shifted his victims to children, who he believed would be easier to prey upon and less likely to get him arrested. His tactics were to lure children to his car by using the classic tactics we have all been warned about – promising candy or dolls or anything else the children would want. He did this repeatedly and was found guilty of kidnapping and molesting six girls and one boy over the course of his spree of assaults.

We can’t pass over how horrific this was. Obviously kidnapping and molesting children is horrendous, but it’s easy for us to miss just how perverse and evil his crimes against these children were. The district attorney who prosecuted the case called it, "Probably the worst child predator case I've ever seen or ever prosecuted."[3] She described how Funston kidnapped children as young as four years old and committed acts of extreme violence against them. Once example she gave included Funston beating a female child and stuffing her underwear down her throat "because she was screaming so much."[4]

The victims themselves have spoken out against Funston now that they are older. One, who was only three years old at the time of his attack, said, "He is a very horrible person. He took innocence from myself and others.”[5] Another victim who was four years old said, “He shouldn't be breathing the same air that we're breathing at all. That man is a monster.”[6]

The reason Funston was eventually caught was because as he was luring two children outside of an apartment complex, a neighbor saw the event, took down his license plate number, and called the police.[7] Finally, after law enforcement put an end to such a horrific crime spree, Funston received three consecutive life sentences intended to keep him in prison indefinitely,[8] and at the time, the Sacramento Bee reported, “Funston will die before he ever gets a parole hearing.”[9]

And so, we might think – this is a terrible case of tragedy and wickedness, thank goodness for law enforcement and for the neighbor who spoke up, and thank the Lord also for our justice system, which put a truly heinous man in prison and protected the public. But such is not the case in California unfortunately. In September of last year, a Board of Parole Hearings granted Funston something called “elderly parole,” and last week the full parole board affirmed that panel’s decision – meaning that this man, rightly described as a monster, will be released from prison early to serve the remainder of his time in the community.[10]

The Injustice of California Law

How was this allowed to happen? How could such a disgusting, wicked monster, who preyed upon precious children and was sentenced to never reenter society, have been allowed OUT of prison? Well, it all comes down to the exact type of “soft-on-crime” policies that I allude to here so often.

California has an “Elderly Parole Program” that allows inmates who are over the age of 50 and have served at least 20 years in prison to be considered for parole. These don’t revisit a prisoner’s guilt or innocence but primarily assess whether the inmate currently presents an unreasonable risk to the community.[11] Apparently kidnapping and raping multiple young children isn’t enough for the parole boards in our state to consider a person an unreasonable risk.

Why was this parole program put in place? To no one’s surprise, this is a direct consequence of California’s focus on reducing “prison overcrowding.” To reduce the prison population, our state decided that criminals – even heinous ones like Funston – no longer deserve fair punishment or true justice for crimes they committed 20 years previously.

I want us to really stop and think about what this means. California decided that the burden of prison overcrowding should not fall on the state to fix – like through building more prisons or, heaven forbid, through capital punishment for murderers and child rapists. Instead, they shifted the burden onto the public, onto our communities, onto you and me to absorb the risk of welcoming back into society serious and dangerous criminals. 

Shifting back to the argument I made at the top of this article: peace through strength depends on credibility. It depends on the idea that when a consequence is declared, it will be carried out. What message does it send to criminals in our state when three life sentences can be administratively softened after 20 years? What signal does that send to every criminal watching how our system operates?

This isn’t just about elderly parole, this is just one example of many of a horrifying pattern in our state’s criminal justice system. Even if criminals are convicted – which is a BIG “if” to begin with, sentences that sound severe actually are incredibly flexible in a state that prioritizes releasing people from prison rather than ensuring justice and safety for the whole of society. Our law codifies several methods of early release expansions, paving the legal pathway for criminals to be released from prison after enough time has passed. Risk assessments about what a person may or may not do today have replaced the moral judgment and clarity that says wickedness must be punished, severely, and innocents must be protected.  And ultimately, our system is increasingly oriented toward simply reducing incarceration rather than restraining evil, which is exactly what the primary role of government is. This one case exposes the radical philosophy behind all of it – and it is just one of many, many stories exactly like it.

Thankfully, in response to this terrible decision, there has been intense backlash, resulting in new charges from Placer County for Funston’s crimes. At the time, Funston was only convicted and sentenced for his crimes in Sacramento County, as Placer County believed the outcome would keep Funston in prison for the rest of his life. Now that that is no longer the case, Placer County District Attorney said in a statement:

“Subsequent changes in state law and recent parole board failures have altered the practical effect of those life sentences for the victims and communities at large. When changes in the law put our communities at risk, it is our duty to re-evaluate those cases and act accordingly. David Allen Funston committed very real crimes against a Placer County child, and the statute of limitations allows us to hold him accountable for those crimes.”[12]

Our state laws and judicial system have failed us so severely, that someone has to step up and speak out. Thankfully in this case, Placer County is doing just that, but this should NOT be the reality for any case like this across out state. 

The District Attorney who originally prosecuted Funston responded to all of this by saying:

“It's Gavin Newsom that signed the law that's allowing him to be released and without having any exclusion for serial sex offenders. Any rational person thinks that a man that has kidnapped seven little kids under the age of 7, done horrific things to them, that fantasizes about children and still continues to fantasize about them [should be kept in prison]. Who thinks that this is a good idea to let this man out when he earned three life terms?”[13]

Her response is exactly correct – no rational person thinks this is a good decision, only those who have been brainwashed into thinking that justice for crime is inconsiderate to criminals would praise such a ruling. But what she said first is so important – Gavin Newsom signed this law, YOUR Governor and YOUR legislature let this – PUSHED this – to happen in our state. This means that until we change the law, and until we change the LEADERSHIP in California, this type of decline will persist, worsen, and destroy our state entirely.

This is a Breaking Point

What is the point of all of this? Anyone who says crime in California, or criminal justice in California, isn’t really that bad, or doesn’t have serious and dangerous ramifications for its citizens, is willfully blind. This case is a breaking point, and it comes in a year where you and your fellow Californians have some important choices to make about the leadership in our state. Sacramento Country Sheriff Jim Cooper said it best when he responded to Funston’s case, “Elections are coming up…What do you stand for? Don’t talk the talk, walk the walk. Protect our children.”[14]

It's time to bring peace through strength to the criminal justice system in California. This year, prepare to vote to restore accountability, to restore moral clarity, and to restore trust that when the state promises justice, it will deliver it.

References:

[1] Ramos, Richard. “Convicted Sacramento Child Molester, Set for Elder Parole, Faces New Charges in Placer County.” CBS News, February 27, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/convicted-sacramento-child-molester-david-funston-new-charges-placer/.

[2] Dowd, Katie. “Serial Northern California Child Molester to Be Paroled, Prompting Outcry.” SF Gate, February 22, 2026. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-child-molester-parole-21735542.php.

[3] iHeart Radio. “California Serial Child Molester Granted Parole After 27 Years,” February 24, 2026. https://wheb.iheart.com/featured/lend-a-helping-can/content/2026-02-24-california-serial-child-molester-granted-parole-after-27-years/.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Harter, Clara. “California Serial Child Molester Granted Parole. Victims Are Outraged - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, February 23, 2026. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-02-22/california-serial-child-molester-granted-parole-victims-are-outraged.

[7] Dowd, “Serial Northern California Child Molester to Be Paroled, Prompting Outcry.”

[8] iHeart Radio, “California Serial Child Molester Granted Parole After 27 Years.”

[9] Dowd, “Serial Northern California Child Molester to Be Paroled, Prompting Outcry.”

[10] Ellison, Jackson. “California Senate Republicans Ask Newsom to Remove Parole Board Members Over Convicted Child Molester Getting Parole.” Abc10.Com, February 27, 2026. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/california-senate-republicans-ask-newsom-to-remove-parole-board-members-over-convicted-child-molester-getting-parole/103-12f511cf-8709-4739-a35c-81ad26d7f0c0.

[11] Vaziri, Aidin. “Child Molester Serving Life Terms Granted Parole in California, Sparking Outrage.” San Francisco Chronicle, February 23, 2026. https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/child-molester-granted-parole-21937387.php.

[12] Ramos, “Convicted Sacramento Child Molester, Set for Elder Parole, Faces New Charges in Placer County.”

[13] Penley, Taylor. “Victim Fears for Others After California Parole Board Approves Release of Convicted Child Predator,” Fox News, February 26, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/media/victim-fears-others-after-california-parole-board-approves-release-convicted-child-predator.

[14] Vaziri, “Child Molester Serving Life Terms Granted Parole in California, Sparking Outrage.”