A Tustin man and his pal who moved to Tennessee face charges of sexually assaulting boys ages 7 to 11 whose images of sexual acts with the suspects were found on a computer flash drive by one victim's mother, according to authorities.
Jimmy Ernest Hutton, 24, who moved to Ooltewah, TN, after the photos were shot, is being extradited back to Orange County today after his arrest Tuesday by investigators from the Tustin Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA) and the Hamilton County, TN, Sheriff's Office.
]
Beginning in September 2008, Hutton's friend, Dustin James
Elwood, 21, of Tustin, is accused of gaining access to
the boys, who were family friends. He allegedly assaulted each boy sexually on more than one
occasion and took at least one photograph of himself sexually
assaulting one child, according to the OCDA.
In August, that victim's mother
discovered the flash drive belonging to Elwood and and the
pornographic photograph of him with her son, prosecutors say. The flash drive also contained several non-sexual shots of Elwood posing with as-of-yet unidentified
children ranging in age from approximately 7 to 17 years old.
Because of those photos, and Elwood's employment at the time of his arrest with Sky High Sports, a Costa Mesa trampoline venue that caters to children, authorities are asking anyone with additional information or who thinks they have been a victim
to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Lou
Gutierrez at 714.347.8794 or Tustin Police Department (TPD) detectives Pam Hardacre at 714.573.3248 or Sgt. Robert Wright at 714.573.3257.
It was TPD the mother contacted after finding the flash drive. Elwood was arrested on Aug. 23. He is charged with three felony counts of oral
copulation of a minor, two felony counts of sodomy of a person under 18,
two felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 for masturbation,
one felony count each of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a
child 10 years old or younger, sodomy of a person under 14, and
possession and control of child pornography, and sentencing enhancement
allegations for lewd acts on multiple children and substantial sexual
conduct with a child.
Held at Orange County Jail in ieu of $1 million bail before a Dec. 2 pre-trial hearing, Elwood faces a maximum sentence of 55
years to life in state prison if convicted on call charges.
During the investigation of Elwood, it was determined he had introduced the boys to his friend Hutton, who is accused of
sexually assaulting two of them. He also alleged to have inappropriately hugged another 12-year-old boy with whom he was acquainted. Hutton had moved to Tennessee since these crimes were committed, according to the OCDA.
Hutton is charged with
four felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 for masturbation
and oral copulation, one felony count of attempted sodomy of a person
under the age of 16, one misdemeanor count of child annoyance, and
sentencing enhancement allegations for lewd acts on multiple children
and substantial sexual conduct with a child.
Prosecutors are also seeking $1 million bail for Hutton, who could get 60 years to life in state prison if convicted of the charges against him. His arraignment is pending.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.