Medford Police, DA Nab Alleged Cyber ‘Predator’

– Allison Goldsberry

After teaming up to bring down a cyber “predator,” the Medford Police and Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone believe there could be additional victims who have yet to come forward, according to information released by Leone Friday.

Thomas Hutchinson, 19, of Tewksbury, was arraigned in Somerville District Court on July 8 on numerous charges including child rape, child enticement, extortion by threat of injury, threats, and posing a child in a state of nudity. Somerville District Court Judge Neil Walker ordered Hutchinson held on $2,500 cash bail with the conditions that he remain under house arrest and on GPS monitoring if he posts bail. Hutchinson is also to have no contact with the victim or the victim’s family and any witnesses, no use of computers or the Internet, and have no unsupervised contact with children. Hutchinson is also not allowed to leave the state and his next court date is August 23 for a probable cause hearing.

“This is an outrageous form of cyber stratagem by a predator using the anonymity of the internet to deceptively lure and entice young female victims with the intent to rape them. This is made all the more troubling by the fact that there exists evidence that leads us to believe that there may be additional victims of his predatory intentions who have not yet come forward,” District Attorney Leone said. “We continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute serious crimes committed by offenders that target vulnerable children through the internet, as we allege is the case here.”

Authorities say Hutchinson used three online identities, “Sexybeast,” “Brittney,” and “Tommy,” to communicate with a 15-year-old girl he met on myyearbook.com. “Brittney” offered to connect the victim with someone involved in modeling. The victim agreed and, shortly thereafter, an individual using the screen name Sexybeast5655@aim.com contacted her and claimed to be in the modeling industry. Hutchinson, allegedly using the “Sexybeast” identity, found out through the victim that she was fifteen and asked her to send him pictures of herself in a bathing suit and clothes. He eventually asked the girl to send him naked pictures and videos. When she complied he threatened to post the images and videos if she didn’t have sex with his “friend.” He additionally threatened to rape her if she refused to meet his friend in person or told police. The friend, “Tommy,” who used the screen name Tommy364587@aim.com, also contacted the victim online.

It is alleged that Hutchinson then arranged to meet with the victim, threatening her again if she did not complete a sex act. On February 28, authorities say Hutchinson contacted the victim, pretending to be “Tommy” and told her he was going to come see her that day. According to authorities Hutchinson drove to the victim’s street and told her to get in his car, where he is alleged to have forced her to perform a sex act.

Medford Police executed search warrants at Hutchinson’s home and car. They found additional evidence while searching his computer, including saved photos and videos, and chats with dozens of females, many of whom appeared to be under the age of eighteen. Additionally, the computer contained numerous images and videos of child pornography. The investigation into the identities and exact ages of the females is ongoing.

Police are asking for anyone who might have been a victim of Hutchinson, or who knows someone who might have been victimized, to call the Medford Police Department Computer Crimes Unit at 781-396-0893.