Two convicted in Sacramento County child sex assault cases, face life in prison

A Citrus Heights pair was sentenced last week to decades in prison by Sacramento Superior Court judges after authorities found child pornography and evidence of child sexual assault on their home devices, according to federal prosecutors.

Robert Mitchell Mathis, 34, received a prison term of 48 years to life and Erin Nicole Mathis, 37, got 33 years to life on counts of sexual assault and possession of child pornography, the district attorney’s office said Thursday in a news release.

Robert and Erin Mathis sexually abused three children — ages 1, 5, and 6 years old — which includes two relatives and a family friend, juries concluded.

Citrus Heights Police took notice of the Mathis’ crimes Nov. 4, 2020, when Facebook said a user was sharing child pornography. After authorities issued a search warrant, they were able to locate Robert and Erin Mathis and found images and videos of the two abusing children on their devices, authorities said in DA news release.

Prosecutors charged Robert Mathis with six counts of committing lewd acts with a child and Erin Mathis with five counts of committing lewd acts with a child, according to Sacramento Superior Court records

On May 20, Robert Mathis pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting all three children and to possessing child pornography. Erin Mathis pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two children, 1 and 6 years old, and to possessing child pornography.