Sacramento County man convicted of ‘repeatedly’ sexually abusing children, DA says
A Citrus Heights man who sexually abused several children he knew and threatened to have one of their fingers cut off if they told anyone has been convicted, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Jason Earl Hook faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in prison for the sexual abuse, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office.
On Friday, Hook pleaded no contest to two counts of committing a lewd act on a child younger than 14 years old, three counts of oral copulation on a child younger than 10, one count of committing a lewd act on a child 14 or years old and one count of an attempted lewd act on a child younger than 14.
Prosecutors said Hook was convicted on charges that listed seven victims who ranged in ages 7 to 15 at the time of the sexual abuse. They also said Hook “repeatedly sexually abused them” starting in 2010.
Hook, 44, abused the children during what he referred to as “garage nights,” the prosecutors said, and he would tell the children to pinkie-swear promise to secrecy about the abuse and the punishment for breaking that promise was to have their pinkie cut off.
When he was arrested Sept. 27, Hook initially faced 25 counts of sexual abuse. The Citrus Heights Police Department at the time thought there could be more victims. Police said Hook’s victims were both boys and girls, which included friends of family members who would visit him at his home.
On Monday, Hook remained at the Sacramento County Jail. He’s scheduled to return to Sacramento Superior Court on June 24 for his sentencing hearing.
