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Woodside resident Alan Russell, 84, was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison on Sept. 1 after being convicted of 12 felonies for molesting four young boys repeatedly over 15 years.
Russell, a former attorney, sexually abused the boys beginning in 1996, when they were between the ages of 7 and 14, according to court records. The abuse happened on trips with family friends across California and in London.
“Our thoughts and support are with the victims who endured so much suffering at his hands. We hope today’s sentencing brings a measure of justice to all of the survivors and their families,” San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Kara Szkotak, who prosecuted Russell, told this news organization. “Time does not erase the harm caused by sexual violence. Our office will continue to identify and aggressively prosecute those responsible, regardless of the passage of time.”
Russell’s attorney Peter Goldscheider said he intends to appeal the case, alleging that the indictment was barred by the statute of limitations.
“The statute of limitations has a purpose: to allow an accused to defend oneself when over time evidence disappears or is no longer available,” Goldscheider said. “This was particularly an issue here where none of the alleged victims’ testimony was corroborated by other evidence and there were interrelationships and connections between all the complaining witnesses.”
Before the trial, Russell appealed to the 1st District Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court. Both courts declined his appeal.
Russell was convicted on May 27 after a monthslong trial that faced numerous delays due to the appeals and Russell’s alleged suicide attempt with a pellet gun once the trial got underway. The District Attorney’s Office alleged Russell’s self-harm and subsequent psychiatric hospital stay was an attempt to avoid accountability.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Renee Reyna sentenced Russell to a minimum of 60 years in prison and a maximum of life. She also ordered restitution, mainly covering lost wages and travel costs, to two victims who live in the United Kingdom, totalling £11,570.94 plus £1,223.88 to a victim’s sibling. Restitution for the other two victims has yet to be determined.
Reyna denied Russell’s motion to be allowed out on bail while his appeal is pending.
In a report recommending prison time, the San Mateo County Probation Department wrote that Russell blamed his victims during an interview.
“(Russell) took the time to call the victims liars. He did not express remorse or take any accountability. Even after being found guilty, he does not understand the seriousness of his actions,” a probation officer wrote in a report to the court. “His actions damaged his victims’ lives as children, and now it is affecting them as adults. … He expressed no remorse for the extreme amount of emotional damage that he has caused the victims.”
The investigation into Russell began in June 2022 when one victim told his therapist about the abuse. Deputies with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office then organized a recorded call between the victim and Russell, where they say he admitted to the abuse. Deputies arrested Russell in 2023 and searched his home, finding thousands of images of child sex abuse material, according to court records. Following his arrest and subsequent media coverage, three additional victims came forward.
“Countless hours were put into this case by numerous members of the Sheriff’s Office, including the primary detective, Sgt. Judson Piper. Their exceptional work continues to help us identify and hold predatory individuals accountable, bring justice to victims and keep our communities safe,” Szkotak said.
In addition to criminal penalties, Russell and his husband are being sued in civil court by several victims. In an unrelated motion, the District Attorney’s Office said a transcript of a recorded jail call between the couple showed Russell is attempting to hide his assets from civil litigation by transferring ownership of millions of dollars.
In the civil lawsuit, the victims accuse Russell’s husband of being aware of the abuse and helping to facilitate it. His husband has not been criminally charged.
The next hearing in the civil lawsuits is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2027.
