ONLY ON 3: Victim’s family reacts to early release of sex offender

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Brunswick County sex offender is out of prison after serving only 2.5 years for a 10-year sentence. A man close to one of the victims says they are not happy about the early release of Albert Baldwin, 62.

The man is close to some of the children victimized as early as 1968 those children are now adults. The man asked for his identity to be hidden in order to protect those victims.

“You don’t hurt small children the damage to them is almost irreversible,” said the man. “The victims were forced to let things go as they have always been or try to get some semblance of justice.”

Jon David, Brunswick County District Attorney, explains why Baldwin was released.

“The sentencing guidelines in place at the time of the incident are controlling. Under current law, the defendant would not be parole eligible, and he would actually serve a significantly longer portion of prison time for his stated sentence,” said David.

But since the crimes happened before October of 1994 Baldwin is back home, not in prison.

“We knew he wouldn’t do the full ten years but we are thinking six, seven, eight years,” said the man.

“I mean what justice is that? He took away their innocence. It’s really in the big picture true justice is never going to get done.”

And now he says, he’s worried this short sentence will have a lasting impact. But he stresses the importance of victims feeling comfortable coming forward to get justice, and closure.

Baldwin is registered as a sex offender in Brunswick County. He is also required to wear a monitoring device to make sure he abides by a curfew.