Roberts admitted a prior conviction in 1999 for attempted murder, doubling his term to 16 years
PISMO BEACH — San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced on Friday, Mar. 25, that Donald Keith Roberts (43), of Pismo Beach, has been sentenced to 16 years in state prison for two counts of child molest that occurred in 2014. Roberts also admitted that he suffered a prior conviction in 1999 for attempted murder, a violent felony under California’s Three Strikes Law. By admitting the prior “strike,” Roberts’s prison term was doubled to 16 years.
The child molestation occurred in Pismo Beach in 2014 and involved a young family member. After committing the crime, Roberts moved to the state of Washington, where he has resided since. The young survivor also moved out of state and, in late 2019, reported the crime to out-of-state authorities, who notified Pismo Beach Police Department. Pismo Beach Police Department investigated the crime, which resulted in the filing of criminal charges. After receiving a Governor’s Warrant authorizing extradition in 2020, two investigators from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation retrieved Roberts from the state of Washington and returned him to San Luis Obispo County for prosecution.
On Jan. 28, 2022, Roberts pleaded no contest to two counts of molesting a child under the age of 14 and admitted the prior “strike” conviction. A no contest plea is treated the same as a guilty plea for the purpose of a criminal conviction.
“The survivor was courageous when reporting the crime years after it happened and by doing so provided the opportunity to hold this predator accountable,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “We thank our law enforcement partners in Washington state for assisting in the initial investigation, and Pismo Beach Police Department for quickly investigating this crime so that it could be successfully prosecuted and the victim afforded justice.”
This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Melissa Chabra, who is assigned to the District Attorney’s Office Sexual Violence Unit. The case was investigated by Marysville Police Department in Snohomish County, Washington, and Pismo Beach Police Department with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.
Please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric J. Dobroth at (805) 781-5819 with any questions.
