Former Utah officer seeks parole after 16 years in prison

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

UTAH STATE PRISON — A former West Valley police officer who has served 16 years in prison for child sex abuse is seeking parole.

Robert Ellis Cox was convicted in 2003 of four counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, four counts of sodomy on a child, and rape of a child. He was sentenced to up to life in prison.

Cox was a West Valley City police officer from November 1990 to March 1994. The abuse happened in the mid-1990s after Cox was no longer an officer. He was charged in 2001 and arrested in late 2002 in Willard River, Minnesota, after his story was profiled on the “America’s Most Wanted.”

Utah State Prison

Robert Ellis Cox

On Nov. 5, Cox, who will turn 60 in December, went before a member of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

The hearing was conducted by board member Denise Porter, who started by asking Cox to talk about his crime, something that is common at all parole hearings.

But Cox, noting that his victim and some of her family members were present for the hearing, initially declined to talk about what he had done in public, saying it was out of respect for his victim.

“They’ve had 16 years to heal, and I don’t want to re-open any more wounds that have already been caused,” he said in a recording of the hearing.

That’s when Porter reminded him that the reason inmates are asked to talk about their crimes is so the board can determine if they have accepted responsibility, what they are accepting responsibility for, and if they are amenable to treatment.

“This is your parole board hearing. Part of what we’re doing is discussing the offenses and talk about the potential treatment. It is an open and public hearing. It is not something that we’re doing behind closed doors. And so I’m going to ask again for you to have that discussion with me. It’s not particularly optional, sir,” she told Cox.

Cox said he understood, and at that point talked briefly about his crime, saying he was overwhelmed with guilt, sorrow and shame.

“I was stupid. I made some mistakes. I take full responsibility for the mistakes that I have made, the choices that I made,” he said. “I took liberties I shouldn’t have taken at that time. And for that, I’m truly sorry.”

Cox pointed out to the board that he has not had any discipline issues while incarcerated and believes he is ready to be released.

“I’ve demonstrated over 16 years that I know how to follow the rules. I have no major write-ups, I’ve been model inmate,” he said.

Porter said she would order that Cox first be assessed to determine what kind of sex offender treatment he should receive and if he is likely to reoffend before she makes her decision. She said if she does recommend that Cox be released, it will be to a halfway house first.

The full five-member board will now vote on whether to grant parole.

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