Penngrove Man Receives Life Sentence in Child Sex Assault Case

Defendant Randall Lewis Cover, 57 years old of Penngrove, was sentenced today by the Honorable Chris Honigsberg to serve nine years plus an additional fifteen years-to-life in state prison after he pled no-contest in September of this year to four counts of committing sex offenses against two separate child victims.  

This case was the result of separate investigations conducted years apart by the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, the first in 2013, the latter in 2017.  The defendant was familiar with both victims and had recurring access to each of them.  Just prior to trial, the defendant pled to committing lewd or lascivious acts against each victim, assault with intent to commit a lewd or lascivious act, and engaging in an act of oral copulation with a child 10 years old or younger.

One of the victims and her mother wrote victim impact letters that were read aloud at the sentencing hearing. The victim expressed that she has “never been more happy since [Cover] has been in prison” and that he “ruined a huge part of [her] childhood and [her] life.” Her mother described the impact of Cover’s sexual abuse on her daughter, but also noted that her daughter’s physical and mental health had improved greatly since he had been in custody. She explained that for her daughter “to know that she is safe and there is no way he can get to her, and hurt her, has allowed her the freedom to be human again.” The other child’s mother indicated in her written letter read in court that her daughter “was just a wholesome little girl that Randall took advantage of. What he did is unforgiveable, incomprehensible, and quite frankly, sickening. Randal took from my daughter what was not his, and she will never get that back.” 

If at some future date the Board of Parole Hearings finds the defendant suitable for release, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life pursuant to Penal Code section 290.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lukas. Detective Jon Kempf of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety headed the investigation.