GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. — When a Gloucester County man received no active prison time after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a child, some members of the community responded with online outrage.
"There’s a reason why these people get away with it and don’t get sentenced," one person wrote in a Facebook comment. "If someone speaks up, sees their abuser gets a smack on the wrist, it makes other victims not want to speak up. Keeps the gaggle of pedophiles safe."
"You want us to rest easy reading this predator was sentenced to 45 years, but from all public available information it appears he is not incarcerated," another comment read.
More than 1,000 comments were filed under the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office post that announced 62-year-old Robert Wayne Hinson entered guilty pleas to two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13 and one count of forcible sodomy of a child under the age of 13.
Most of the comments were critical of the justice system and the lack of active prison time for Hinson.
Then, his victim spoke out.
"I want to ask that you show grace and compassion to the Hinson family, who do not deserve the negative attention that has surrounded the actions of one of their members, Robert Hinson. They are also victims of his actions and not a reflection of the crime he committed," the victim, who did not share their name, said in a statement posted by the sheriff's office. "I am sharing something deeply personal here that is a difficult story. It may be uncomfortable to read, but I hope it empowers someone out there."
The victim then went into detail about Hinson's crime.
"I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). It took me twenty years to say that to another person. Not only did I experience CSA, but the person who abused me was a trusted family member and someone who took advantage of my innocence. He manipulated not just me, but everyone around me. I was molested for multiple years during my childhood," the statement continued. "For a long time, I normalized the abuse. I always knew that it was wrong and horrific, but I could not bring myself to speak out. There were signs. I wanted help but I did not have the words. The most confusing part for others to understand may be that I stayed close with him until about a year ago. If that is hard for you to comprehend, that is ok. Our minds do what they need to do to survive."
The victim said while experiencing PTSD, they began therapy where eventually they eventually shared information about the abuse.
"After an investigation by the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office, a grand jury indicted Robert Hinson on six felony charges and he was arrested in September of 2024. He was released on bail one week later," the statement continued. "After months of continuances and delays by his defense attorney, we offered a plea agreement due to his current health. He is battling a terminal illness and has a poor prognosis. Each time there was a continuance, I saw the chances of this being resolved before he died slip away. I had concerns that if this was delayed further, he may not ever make it to trial and this dark cloud that had been over me for twenty years would go unresolved."
The victim said the guilty brought them "the closest thing to closure I knew that I could get."
"Yes, I did request the plea agreement. It was not because I did not want him to be in jail or because I thought he should walk free. It was because the judicial process offers too many opportunities for defendants to prolong cases. Due process is slow," the statement read. "I am not sharing this for sympathy. I am sharing this to say that it is never too late to speak. It is never too late to heal. Survivors did not ask for what happened to them. We do not deserve the silence that follows. We do not owe our abusers' protection. I am not ashamed of what I've been through or of the healing it has taken to get here. My voice is louder than it's ever been. You can heal. There is hope. If you are a survivor reading this: I see you. I believe you. You deserve healing."
In addition to the victim's statement, the Gloucester County Commonwealth's Attorney shared his perspective.
"Hinson provided evidence that he is terminally ill and was undergoing extensive treatment at the time of his arrest. At the time of the bond hearing, Mr. Hinson had no criminal history whatsoever. In the Commonwealth, if a person is deceased after conviction but prior to sentencing, their conviction will be vacated. In layman's terms, this means the conviction is erased," Commonwealth's Attorney John Dusewicz said. "The victim was very clear, under these horrible circumstances, that his priority was to hear the defendant admit his guilt and that Mr. Hinson register as a sex offender. A plea agreement was reached between the Commonwealth, the victim and the Defendant. The Judge does not participate in plea negotiations. The plea agreement was presented to the Court. The Court reviewed testimony, evidence and a pre-sentence report and after consideration, accepted the plea agreement."
Hinson was sentenced to 45 years of incarceration on April 21, 2025, in the Gloucester County Circuit Court.
The entire prison sentence was suspended for 20 years with the agreement of the victim, who prioritized the defendant having to register as a sex offender and his admission of guilt over incarceration.
"During each appearance in Court, Mr. Hinson's medical condition was discussed. With each hearing, his prognosis was described as worsening. Mr. Hinson's attorney stated that he was dying; he appeared at his sentencing via video from a hospital," Dusewicz said. "Hinson met his obligations to register, which has been confirmed by this office with the State Police. That information regularly takes four to six weeks, per the Virginia State Police, to appear on the online registry. Mr. Hinson fulfilled his obligation to contact probation and begin the registry process within the three days required by law."
According to the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office investigation, the child sexual abuse occurred between approximately 1999 and 2007.
The victim reported being sexually abused by Hinson for many years before turning 15, with much of the abuse occurring before their 13th birthday.
Investigators spent approximately six weeks conducting multiple interviews and gathering evidence that supported the allegations.
The case was presented to the Gloucester County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office and subsequently to a Grand Jury on September 3, 2024.
As part of his sentence, Hinson must register as a sex offender, be on state probation, have no contact with the victim, be supervised with any child under the age of 18, and maintain zero tolerance for the use of any illegal substances or non-prescribed drugs.
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