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Reality TV star convicted of sexual battery of teen at Southern California home

Scott Schwebke, The Orange County Register on

Published in Entertainment News

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A Texas real estate developer and reality TV personality pleaded guilty Monday, April 29, to misdemeanor sexual battery for assaulting an unconscious 16-year-old girl at his vacation home in Laguna Beach in 2021.

Four additional counts of sexual battery and one count of rape were dismissed for lack of evidence against William Lewald Hutchinson, 65, who starred in the Lifetime reality TV series “Marrying Millions” and whose company, Dunhill Partners, owns the Laguna Design Center in Laguna Niguel.

Hutchinson, who lives in Dallas, avoided jail time during his sentencing in Orange County Superior Court. Instead, he was placed on three years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender.

In the original complaint, Hutchinson was accused of sexually assaulting two 16-year-old girls whom he brought with him from Texas during several trips to his Laguna Beach residence.

Prosecutors alleged in April 2021 that Hutchinson raped one of the teenagers and committed four acts of sexual battery against her. He was accused of committing sexual battery against the second girl during a second visit a month later.

One of the girls said through her attorney, Brian Gurwitz, that she was pleased the prosecution dismissed the charges against Hutchinson they claimed involved her.

 

“Bill Hutchinson has always treated me with kindness,” she said. “He never once acted inappropriately toward me. I never should have been a part of this case.”

Three women also have a civil suit pending against Hutchinson in Dallas alleging he victimized them.

One of the women, who is seeking more than $1 million in damages and was identified as “Jane Doe” in the suit filed Friday, is a college student who resides in McLennan County, Texas.

She stated in the suit that she became acquainted with Hutchinson on social media and began messaging him on Instagram.

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