Crime Calif. Man Convicted of Sexually Assaulting a Child Released 34 Years Early. Here's Why Frank Duane Brown will be a free man within the next 30 days By Angel Saunders Angel Saunders Angel Saunders has been a writer at PEOPLE since 2023. She’s previously worked at iHeartMedia, IndieWire, and REVOLT. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 10, 2024 12:19AM EDT metal handcuffs — stock image. Photo: Getty Images A 72-year-old convicted sex offender serving a 45-year prison sentence will soon be a free man, more than three decades ahead of schedule. On Thursday, Aug. 8, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Scott P. Williams approved the release of Frank Duane Brown under the state of California’s “Compassionate Release” law. judge's gavel and scales — stock image. Getty The law, also known as AB 960 or recall of sentence, applies to inmates who no longer pose a threat to public safety or are terminally ill, among other criteria. Though Brown pled guilty to six felony counts of forced lewd and lascivious sexual acts on a child under the age of 14 years old in 2013 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, his metastatic liver cancer allows California’s “Compassionate Release” law to apply, CBS News reported. Zoologist Who Appeared on NatGeo, BBC, Sexually Abused Dogs and Recorded Abuse in 'Torture Room' Judge Williams granted the compassionate release petition and ordered Brown's release from prison within the next 30 days, according to a press release shared by the District Attorney’s Office of Riverside County on Friday, Aug. 9. "While early release has become increasingly common, it is appalling that this release was even being considered given the offender's violent crime against a child,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. “Once again, the state places the victim in a traumatic situation, forcing her to fight to keep her perpetrator in prison for the sentence handed down by a court of law. By doing so, victims must relive their devastating experiences. How is this justice?” he continued. prisoner in orange uniform holding metal bars — stock image. Evgeniy Shkolenko/Getty The district attorney added that his office “remains steadfast in opposing the early release of felons to protect victims and ensure public safety.” Hestrin called it “outrageous” that “a clearly dangerous sexual predator” would be released before his full sentence was complete. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In a video included in the release, the victim, who remained anonymous, shared her story. “I lived with this man and he raped me almost every single day," the woman, referred to only as “Jane Doe” said, in part, in the video. Ex-N.D. Lawmaker Traveled Overseas to Sexually Abuse Young Boys: 'What Happens in Prague — Stays in Prague' "Finally after all the pain and trauma that I experienced — I'm like, ‘Oh, it's over, like they said he's going to jail.’ So all that pain that I had inside – I worked really, really, really hard to try to get myself in a better place mentally and emotionally, that, I'm forever scarred,” she continued. Brown served 11 of his 45-year sentence. According to KESQ, the victim's relationship to the defendant is not immediately known. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.