A serial child molester serving his sentence at a Southern California prison has been granted parole, sparking widespread outrage.
David Allen Funston was convicted in 1999 in Sacramento County of 16 counts of kidnapping and child molestation. According to prosecutors who handled the case, Funston would approach children playing outside their homes in the suburbs of Sacramento between 1995 and 1996, using candy and toys to lure them into his vehicle.
Funston was described by a judge as “the monster parents fear the most,” the Los Angeles Times reported, adding that he “seemed destined to spend the rest of his life in prison” due to his punishment: three sentences of 25 years-to-life plus 20 years.
Nick Reiner pleads not guilty in L.A. slayings of parents Rob and Michele Reiner
Inmate search records indicate Funston, who is housed at the California Institution for Men in Chino, began his sentence on May 10, 1999, and became eligible for parole in January 2021. However, he was denied in May of 2022, but fast forward to September 2025, and his parole was granted. California Gov. Gavin Newsom had referred his parole grant for review by the full board last month, and last Wednesday, the decision to grant Funston parole was affirmed.
Funston was eligible for a parole suitability hearing under the Elderly Parole Program because he was not on death row nor was he sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Depending on an inmate’s sentence, their first Elderly Parole Program hearing is scheduled after they have been incarcerated at least 20 continuous years and reached the age of 50. Inmates are also eligible for the Elderly Parole Program if they were incarcerated for 25 continuous years and reached the age of 60…