'Grandpa Al' Sentenced To Prison For Molesting Girls

[ConfuZed]

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4514426/detail.html?rss=la&psp=news


SANTA ANA, Calif. -- An Anaheim motel resident nicknamed "Grandpa Al," who babysat for other tenants, was sentenced Friday to 38 years to life in prison for lewd conduct and taking nude photos of four girls.

Allen Lee Hutchcraft, 55, was convicted in March of 10 felony charges involving four girls who were between 5-8 years old when they were molested, said Deputy District Attorney Beth Costello.

He befriended other residents at the El Dorado Inn on Lincoln Avenue between 2001 and 2004 and offered to babysit their children, Costello said.

Many people at the motel "thought of him as family," Costello said.

Hutchcraft, who lived alone, encouraged the girls to play in his room and would give them candy and treats, the prosecutor said...

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Is that really his pic?

Whoever that is in the pic, he sure looks predatory...scary even!

[Jim Lane]

2. Clarification: That's not THE Grandpa Al

Al Lewis of New York, the actor who played Grandpa Munster on The Munsters, is commonly known as "Grandpa Al". He was the Green Party candidate for Governor of New York in 1998.

I'm no fan of the Green Party, but I wouldn't want a well-known progressive activist to be unfairly branded a child molester.

[bklyncowgirl]

3. Thanks, I love Al Lewis.

I used to listen to his radio show on WBAI. He's a wonderful old fashioned leftie full of stories about everything from organizing in migrant labor camps during the depression to civil rights organizing in the 50s and 60s.

[FourStarDemocrat]

4. Me too. He is such a dear...

Grandpa Al Lewis also owned an Italian estaruant in NYC's Greenwich Village in the 1980's. He used to wave hello at people walking along the sidewalks from inside the restaurant's window dressed in full Munsters' costume. So cute. His restaraunt wasn't bad either.

[0007]

5. Man, I didn't think folks still remembered. I like Al Lewis alot.

n/t

[latebloomer]

11. I used to listen to his BAI show, too

Anybody know how he's doin? He's in his mid-90s by now and has had some bad health problems-- didn't he have an amputation?

[BiggJawn]

7. That's who I first thought of.

I thought "NO! NOT Grandpa Al!"


Then I figured that the only reason this story was posted was to throw more heat into the "Sex Offender" shit-storm that's been going on here this week...

[AnnInLa]

9. I agree with your observation....eom

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Al Lewis used to hang out outside a cafe in the West Village when I was a

teenager. We used to go down to the Village, get a couple of forties, and hang out with him (this was when the NYPD didn't really bother you for drinking in the street). He was cool as shit, and very down to talk to folks. When I saw this headline I was shocked. Glad to see it ain't him!

[Raster]

6. O.K. ConfuZed, who, pray tell, is the goomer with the bad rug?

[ConfuZed]

10. I'm not sure myself LOL

I found the pic on ebay.

[Raster]

12. and yet another great buy....