Man sentenced for child sex abuse in Sacramento County could get elderly parole
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- A Sacramento County jury found Christopher Cole guilty of sexually abusing two girls.
- A judge sentenced Cole to 475 years to life in prison for the sexual abuse crimes.
- Prosecutors said he could be released from prison after serving 20 years of his sentence.
A man sentenced to 475 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two girls in Sacramento County could be released after serving 20 years of his sentence because of his age, prosecutors said.
A jury on Oct. 27 found Christopher Cole, 44, guilty of eight counts of committing a lewd act upon a child and one count of committing a sex act with a child younger than 10 years old, according to a news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Cole sexually abused the girls over a few years; one girl when she was 4 to 5 years old and the other girl when she was 7 to 9 years old.
Cole sexually abused the first girl many times and showed the other girl pornographic material before forcing her to perform the sex act with him several times, according to the District Attorney’s Office. In one incident, Cole sexually abused the girls at the same time, prosecutors said.
On Thursday, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Carlton Davis sentenced Cole to 475 years to life in prison.
Under California law, Cole will become eligible for early release at an elderly parole hearing after he turns 50 and serves 20 years of his prison sentence, according to the DA’s Office. With credit for time already served in custody, prosecutors said Cole will become eligible for parole 18 years from now.
Convicted offenders sentenced to death or life without the possibility of parole are not eligible for elderly parole. Also ineligible for elderly parole are offenders sentenced for the second or third strike under California’s “three strikes” law and offenders convicted of first-degree murder of a peace officer or a former peace officer due to performance of their official duties.
Cole, who has been in custody since Aug. 16, 2024, remained in custody Sunday at the Sacramento County Main Jail as he awaits a transfer to a prison.
