Lonnie Victory, resident of Windsor, a repeat offender
According to a statement released by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, defendant Lonnie William Victory, 56, of Windsor, was sentenced on Oct. 9 by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 50 years-to-life in prison after pleading no-contest in August to eight felony sex offenses.
The investigation into Victory began in 2017 following the discovery of a hidden camera he had placed in a bathroom. Following the discovery of the camera, law enforcement secured a warrant and searched Victory’s electronic devices, uncovering homemade videos that depicted him sexually assaulting a child.
It was later determined that Victory had recurring and frequent access to the child. During the investigation, a second child came forward and disclosed the defendant had molested her as well. Victory was charged with — and convicted of — crimes committed against each of the children, as well as with possession of child pornography.
In 1996, Victory, known as the “Sebastopol Video Rapist,” was sentenced in a prior case to 28 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting five separate women in Sonoma County.
“Victory was arrested on Aug. 4, 1995, after county sheriff’s detectives, based on a tip, searched his Princeton Drive residence in Sebastopol and found several incriminating videos and photographs showing Victory either raping and or sexually assaulting women,” according to an article in the Dec. 4, 2018 issues of Sonoma West Times & News and The Windsor Times.
In April 1996, Victory was sentenced to the maximum term of 28 years after pleading no contest to 11 counts of rape and sexual assault on five women. According to the report, a sixth woman from the videos was not identified and due to the assault depicted in the recording police searched Victory’s backyard for a body. No human remains were found.
According to Sonoma West news archives, the sexual batteries occurred over several months, in 1994 at either Victory’s Princeton Drive home or the victims’ residences.
Victory was released from the California Department of Corrections in 2009 after serving 13 years. When Victory molested the children in this case, he was on parole for his prior sex offenses. He was arrested by Windsor police on Oct. 23, 2018 in Penngrove, though he is listed as a resident of Windsor.
Both of his most recent victims addressed the court through written statements at the time of sentencing.
According to the district attorney’s office, one victim told the court that Victory carelessly took advantage of her innocence, and as a result she will have to struggle with mental trauma for the rest of her life.
The other victim stated that, “He should not ever get out of jail, not ever. He would just do the same thing. He should not be allowed to hurt anyone else.”
District Attorney Jill Ravitch stated, “This was an individual that wasted little time after being released from prison before once again committing a series of heinous sex assaults on young girls. I hope these victims understand that their courage coming forward will keep this person behind bars for what should be the rest of his life.”
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Andrew Lukas and Matt Hobson with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator Ken Pistorio and Victim Advocate Rocio Torres-Murphy. District Attorney Investigators Rich Celli and Dave Kahl, as well as Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department Detective Fred Schmidt, headed the investigation.
