BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - A Chico man was sentenced to 32 years in prison in Butte County Superior Court Wednesday.
26-year-old David Hamilton of Chico, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for sexually abusing two different boys under the age of 10.
According to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, Hamilton's acts of molestation were discovered through an investigation by the Chico Police Department into ongoing sexual abuse by multiple offenders that Hamilton was associated with.
Each of the other offenders were also charged and previously pled to their roles in the molestation of victims.
Ramsey said search warrants that were executed in the case revealed significant evidence of ongoing predatory conduct by Hamilton and his girlfriend, Chelsea Klein.
In one text exchange with Hamilton, Klein, who previously pled and was sentenced to state prison for her role in the case, discussed scouting for young boys in a public bathroom.
Klein texted Hamilton about a young boy that had entered the restroom and Hamilton had responded angrily that he wasn't able to take a picture of the boy because "some guy came in" the bathroom, Ramsey said.
According to the district attorney's office, further evidence that was collected at Hamilton's home included eyeglasses that contained a hidden camera, child pornography, and other evidence of pedophilia.
Ramsey said Hamilton's character and history have made it abundantly clear that he will forever pose an extraordinary danger to all children.
Because of the charges of which he was convicted of, Hamilton will be psychologically evaluated by state doctors to determine if he is a sexually violent predator before being eligible for parole from prison.
Ramsey said if Hamilton is found to be a sexually violent predator, he could be transferred to and spend the rest of his life in a locked state hospital.
