Child Molester Sentenced to 24 Years in State Prison

After an unusual hearing in which both the prosecutor and defense attorney of a man convicted of child molestation were sworn in as witnesses, a judge sentenced the man to 24 years in state prison.

The lengthy term went to Robert (Oink) Wardell, 43, of Ramona. The 300-pound Wardell, whose health problems confine him to a wheelchair, showed no reaction to the sentence.

Wardell had sought to withdraw his July 14, 1987, guilty plea to 10 counts of molesting five girls ranging in age from 9 to 13 while he baby-sat them. He had claimed that the district attorney’s office had promised his sentence would be reduced by 12 years if he testified against the girls’ parents.

Put Under Oath

At least one of the fathers is a member of the Hell’s Angels, and has put out a contract on Wardell’s life, Wardell’s attorney, David Florance, said.

But Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert Eichler, who has prosecuted the case since Wardell’s arrest in November, 1986, was put under oath and told San Diego Superior Court Judge Terry O’Rourke that he never met with Wardell and knew of no one who had from the district attorney’s office.

Wardell testified that he met with two district attorney investigators, whose names he did not know, and that they agreed his sentence would be reduced if he testified against the parents.

The judge questioned Wardell about why he signed a form saying he had not received any promises of any reduction or been induced to make the guilty plea.

Wardell replied that he didn’t think it was necessary for him to describe in court the investigators’ alleged promises.

An angry O’Rourke suggested to Florance that he had a conflict of interest, since he was a witness to what his client understood or knew when he entered his plea.

Attorney From Audience

Florance agreed to step aside for the motion and the judge summoned another defense attorney, Hodge Crabtree, who was sitting in the audience on another case, to step forward and represent Wardell in the motion.

Crabtree initially protested, but later met privately with Wardell and Florance and agreed to represent Wardell.

When they returned, Florance was sworn in as a witness and testified that Wardell had not told him about the alleged promises from the investigators.

Eichler told the judge it would have been “highly improper” for the investigators to talk to Wardell without his lawyer present. He also said there was “never any consideration to prosecute the victims’ parents. . . .”

“Mr. Wardell has committed perjury today,” the judge said in denying the motion to withdraw the plea.

Wardell was given the maximum 24-year sentence, and the judge ordered that his 10-year federal prison term on a kidnaping charge of one of the victims be made to run consecutively.