Returned to prison once for violating parole, Hopewell sex offender is paroled again

Gov. Abigail Spanberger's parole board has voted to release Waverly Otis Robinson, convicted of four counts of forcible sodomy in Hopewell, according to the board's own September 2026 decisions report.

The board's September report lists Robinson, 63, as granted under dual eligibility, with a decision date of Sept. 11 and certification on Sept. 14. His record shows four forcible sodomy convictions in Hopewell Circuit Court dated April 7, 1993, each carrying 20 years with 10 suspended; a statutory burglary conviction in Petersburg Circuit Court dated Nov. 25, 1992, with 10 years and 7 years, 8 months suspended; and a Parole Board violation entry dated April 3, 2018, carrying 20 years, 1 month and 7 days. The report estimates he has served 30 years, 4 months and 13 days. The minutes say he was considered for discretionary parole and geriatric conditional release.

This newsroom could not locate contemporaneous news coverage or an appellate opinion describing the Hopewell offenses, so the facts here are limited to the board record. In keeping with this newsroom's policy, no victim of a sexual offense is identified.

The rest of the record: Besides the four sodomy counts, the record shows the 1992 Petersburg burglary conviction and the 2018 parole violation, which indicates Robinson was previously released on parole and returned to prison. The record does not describe what the violation involved. Vice Chair Kecia Brothers Hayes said he had been infraction-free since 2013.

Why the board says he should go free: The board's listed reasons were demonstrated rehabilitation, excellent institutional adjustment, the conclusion that he had served enough time, infraction-free conduct for at least 24 months, a low risk-assessment score, clear acceptance of responsibility, significant community support, insight into the factors behind the crime and a sustained commitment to growth and lawful conduct.

The Sept. 10 minutes record a 4-0 vote and "no victim opposition." Robinson addressed the board. Board Member Tyrone Nelson cited significant community support and his conclusion that Robinson had served enough time, and Chair Shannon Dion cited insight into the causes of criminal behavior and a low risk-assessment score.

To be fair to the board, every reason quoted above comes from its own record, and the four members present explained their votes on the record at the Sept. 10 meeting. The question for voters is whether those reasons outweigh what the court ordered, what the record shows about his past, and what victims told the board.

What the numbers say about Hopewell: Violent crime in Hopewell has improved over the past decade, according to the state's own figures. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, using Virginia State Police data, reported 416.4 violent index crimes per 100,000 residents in Hopewell in 2025, against 438.3 in 2016, down 5%. Property crime stood at 1,448.5 per 100,000 in 2025, down 49% from 2,844.5. Nearby, Petersburg recorded 898.1 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, up 23% from 731.4 in 2016, and 2,991.8 property crimes per 100,000, down 7% from 3,230.2. For comparison, the statewide violent crime rate was 210.5 per 100,000 in 2025, and the median Virginia locality came in at 172.9, according to the August 2026 DCJS report. DCJS cautions that the figures are subject to revision.

This is what Democratic control of the parole board looks like. Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, appointed every one of the five members of the board, replacing the board she inherited, and the Democratic-led General Assembly confirmed them in Senate Joint Resolution 209 in March. Her chair, Shannon Dion, was previously named director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. Board member Tyrone Nelson has run for the Henrico Board of Supervisors as a Democrat. The four members who voted on Sept. 10 were Dion, Vice Chair Kecia Brothers Hayes, Nelson and Valerie Boykin; Bishop Kevin White was absent, according to the minutes. None of that means the governor personally ordered any individual release; the board votes, and the record shows how each member voted. But the governor picks the board, and by law its members serve at the governor's pleasure. Statewide, a Washington Examiner analysis found Spanberger's board had a 13.89% release rate in 2026, more than 10 times the 1.23% rate under Youngkin's board in 2025, and WJLA 7News counted 48 grants in 205 discretionary and geriatric cases since May, about 23%; in September alone, the board granted 7 of 85 cases, about 8.2%.

Parole is not the end of a sentence. The board can revoke it, and in September it revoked parole in two cases. The board's report does not say when Robinson will walk out or where he will live, questions Hopewell residents are entitled to ask.

Petersburg is an independent city in the Richmond region.

Email the Petersburg City Council:
Samuel Parham, sparham@petersburg-va.org,
Darrin Hill, dhill@petersburg-va.org,
Marlow Jones, mjones@petersburg-va.org,
Charles Cuthbert, Jr., ccuthbert@petersburg-va.org,
Howard Myers, whowardmyers@petersburg-va.org,
Annette Smith-Lee, alee@petersburg-va.org,
Arnold Westbrook, Jr., awestbrook@petersburg-va.org,

Email the Henrico County Board/Council:
Dan Schmitt, brookland@henrico.gov,
Roscoe Cooper III, fairfield@henrico.gov,
Misty Roundtree, threechopt@henrico.gov,
Jody Rogish, tuckahoe@henrico.gov,
Tyrone Nelson, varina@henrico.gov,