Sacramento Sheriff Blasts Gavin Newsom After Serial Child Rapist is Released [WATCH]

Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper unleashed a blistering condemnation of California’s soft-on-crime policies after the state’s parole board greenlit the release of a notorious child predator who should have rotted in prison for life.

David Allen Funston, now 64, was convicted in 1999 on 16 counts of kidnapping and child molestation for a horrific 1995-1996 crime spree in the Sacramento area.

He targeted vulnerable kids as young as 3 to 7 years old, luring them with candy, Barbie dolls, and toys before subjecting them to unspeakable abuse.

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One victim was kidnapped, viciously molested, driven to Placerville, punched, and dumped from the car.

A judge rightly branded him “the monster parents fear most.”

Funston was slapped with three consecutive 20-year terms—plus additional consecutive sentences—intended to keep him locked away forever. But thanks to a 2020 law that makes inmates eligible for “elderly parole” at age 50 after serving 20 years, the parole board deemed this monster “suitable for release.”

The decision was reaffirmed on February 18, 2026, sparking outrage from law enforcement, victims, and parents across the state.

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In a fiery press conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office headquarters, Sheriff Cooper didn’t hold back, slamming the parole board and the broader failures of California’s justice system.

A retired sheriff’s sergeant who worked child abuse cases back in 1995 tipped him off, Cooper explained. “I got a phone call from retired Sheriff sergeant who used to work child abuse back in 1995 about this case, David Allen Funston, he helped investigate it. He was angry because he read he was being released,” he said.

The sheriff admitted he was initially unaware of the development. “I had no idea about it, read the LA Times article, saw what they had spoken and got the wheels rolling,” Cooper continued.

He described diving into the horrifying details.

“So yesterday they printed out probably 1000s of pages of arrest reports on Mr. Funston of the cases he did and take us back to 1995 he was out preying on children in the Sacramento area,” Cooper said.

“We’re talking children as young as three to the age of seven, molesting them.

“Cooper recounted one especially brutal incident to drive home the evil. “One young girl in North Highlands kidnapped her, molested her very viciously, drove her to Placerville and kicked her out of the car after punching her. Think about that,” he said.He praised the original investigation and the victims’ courage. “He was caught eventually, through the hard work of the sheriff’s office, did a great job investigating it, 1000s of pages of interviews of children, and one thing about these kids, they were resilient. They did an amazing job IDing him,” Cooper added.

The sheriff highlighted how Funston exploited basic childhood warnings. “And back then, as a parent or anyone around kids, hey, don’t take candy from strangers. Don’t follow anyone. Don’t get in someone’s car. This is what he did, lured him with candy, Barbie Dolls, Toys, and abuse these kids horrifically. Horrifically,” he emphasized.

Despite the severity, Funston’s sentence was undermined by later laws, Cooper explained.

“He was given three consecutive terms, 20 year terms. He should have been in prison the rest of his life. Unfortunately, in 2020 a bill was passed that made folks eligible for parole as early as 50 years of age once they served 20 years. So he qualifies. He’s 64 years old. I’m 62 that is dead wrong,” the sheriff said.

The lifelong harm to victims fueled his outrage. “These children, he ruined their lives, and that is eligible. And the damage he’s done, he stole their childhoods,” Cooper continued.

His main target was the parole board itself.

“And my issue is the parole board. I read the reports. They’re horrific. You’ve seen some of the things he did. There’s no explanation. You can’t explain it away,” he said.Cooper drew a firm line on redemption for such crimes.

“There are some folks that deserve a second chance in life. Someone that does these type of things, they don’t deserve a second chance, a second chance in life,” the sheriff declared.

He questioned California’s direction as a society. “What are we coming to as a society here in California that is okay with this to let him out,” Cooper asked.

The sheriff pointed to shifting offender demographics and the law’s broad reach.

“You think about some of the offenders that do the child abuse cases, child molest cases, typically, they’re older males. Now we’re seeing a lot of folks in their 20s and 30s. So under the law, and we have folks in their 20s that have pending cases right now, they can be up the time they’re 50, having done 20 years. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever,” he added.

A call to action followed. “Someone has to speak up about it, and we’ve got to change this,” Cooper urged.

He reiterated the convictions’ scope. “So he lured these kids, kidnapped the kids kidnapped two sisters. He was convicted of 16 counts of kidnapping, child molestation with multiple young children,” the sheriff said.

“Remember the youngest victim, three years of age since over 20 years in prison as well as three additional consecutive sentences, consecutive, not concurrent, is that they follow each other.”Cooper closed with the judge’s damning words and a direct challenge.

“A judge in Sacramento described him, and I’ll say this, as the monster parents fear most. Yet today, the parole board decided he is suitable for release. We can’t have this. It’s got to change,” he said.

Finally, he tied it to broader battles over child protection in the state.

“And in California, it’s battle after battle when it comes to our children. Few years ago, we’re fighting human trafficking of a child that wasn’t a violent felony, had to fight to get it passed. They got it passed,” Cooper continued.

“Now we’re dealing with mental health aversion. You can kill your one year old infant and get your record expunged and go work with other kids. What the hell is going on in California?” he concluded.

Cooper’s remarks highlight a growing frustration among conservatives and law-and-order advocates: California’s endless parade of “reform” laws prioritizes predators over victims, turning justice into a revolving door.

Funston’s case is just the latest example of how blue-state policies let monsters walk free while families live in fear. Until voters demand real change, expect more headlines like this one.

Protect kids first—anything less is unacceptable.

Check out the full press conference below:

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