Correction, May 2, 2024, 12:20 p.m.: An earlier version of this article contained incorrect information. Real estate developer Bill Hutchinson pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault in an incident involving a 16-year-old boy. Five other charges against him were dismissed after he pleaded not guilty.
A prominent Dallas-area real estate developer and reality TV personality pleaded guilty Monday in California court to misdemeanor sexual assault for a 2021 incident involving a 16-year-old girl at his Laguna Beach vacation home.
William Lewald “Bill” Hutchinson, 65, was sentenced in Orange County Court to three years of probation and will be required to register as a sex offender. He will not serve any prison time.
One charge of rape and four charges of sexual assault on an unconscious person were dismissed. He had previously pleaded not guilty to all six charges.
Hutchinson’s attorney, Levi McArthur, said in an emailed statement that Hutchinson and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office “reached a plea agreement in exchange for the dismissal of five very serious charges.”
“He and his family are relieved that this matter has been resolved,” the statement said.
Hutchinson appeared on the Lifetime reality show. Married to millions It aired for two seasons starting in 2019. The show highlighted his relationship with a woman 40 years younger than him.
He retired as president of real estate firm Dunhill Partners and also left his roles at Virgin Hotels Dallas and W Hotels around the time of the allegations.
Accusation
Hutchinson was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his Highland Park home in 2021, but he maintained his innocence and a Dallas County jury dismissed the charges in 2022.
The charges filed against him in California involve the same teenage girl and another girl, both of whom were 16 at the time of the incidents.
Hutchinson still faces personal injury lawsuits in Dallas County from three women identified in court documents only as Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 4.
The lawsuit was first filed in Dallas County District Court in July 2021 by a girl who claims she was assaulted in Texas and California, and the complaint has since been amended multiple times to include additional plaintiffs.
They are each seeking at least $1 million.
According to the lawsuit, the women allege that Hutchinson sexually assaulted them at various locations in Dallas in 2019 and 2020 after giving them alcohol and making them intoxicated, and that he sexually assaulted some of them repeatedly.
The case is scheduled for a jury trial in November.
Michelle Simpson Tugel, a lawyer representing the three women, said: Orange County Register She said she was “encouraged” that victims in the California cases came forward and that convictions were reached.
“I commend this victim’s courage – her bravery in coming forward not only brings justice for what she went through, but also sheds light on the actions of a man who is now a registered sex offender,” she said. “It’s not easy to come forward against a public figure and tell the truth while waiting years for your day in court, but this victim’s courage shows the potential impact every voice can have.”
