Convicted serial child molester handed 450-year prison sentence in California
STOCKTON – A California man prosecutors called a serial child molester has been handed a "monumental" sentence, the district attorney's office says.
Lonnie Smith was recently convicted on eight child molestation counts out of multiple jurisdictions.
According to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, three victims were involved – all who were under the age of 13.
On Tuesday, the DA's office revealed that Smith was sentenced to 450 years to life in prison along with two counts of life without parole.
Smith had already served two prison terms, in 1983 and 1988, for convictions of lewd acts with a minor. The victims in those cases were allowed to testify in court for the new cases, the DA's office says.
Prosecutors lamented how less stringent the sentencing laws were in the 1980s but hailed the new convictions and sentence.
"This sentence is a thundering verdict against evil. We have not just closed a case; we've fortified our community against predators. Let this be known: in San Joaquin County, we do not merely pursue justice, we enforce it with unrelenting vigor," said District Attorney Ron Frietas in a statement.
Smith is 72.
The Stockton Police Department was the lead agency in the investigation.