Man Is Charged in Abuse of 5 Girls
A man known as “Grandpa Al” to the families living at an Anaheim motel has been charged with molesting five girls he had agreed to baby-sit, authorities said Friday.
Allen Lee Hutchcraft, 54, has pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of child molestation and taking photos of a nude child. The 5- to 8-year-old girls were molested on multiple occasions since February 2001 at the El Dorado Inn, a long-term stay motel on Lincoln Avenue, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Costello.
Hutchcraft gained the trust of parents by doing favors for them, including picking up their children from school, and befriended children by offering treats, said Police Sgt. Rick Martinez.
“He’d provide them with treats like candy, ice cream and different snacks,” Martinez said. “He began taking pictures of the children with their clothes on, then their clothes off. He then exposed himself to the children and that eventually led to physical contact.”
In February police began investigating Hutchcraft, who has no criminal history, after one alleged victim told a relative, who called police.
Hutchcraft’s public defender, Jeremy Goldman, could not be reached for comment.
A preliminary hearing will be held in two weeks.
Hutchcraft remained in custody Friday night. Bond was set at $1 million.
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