Hutchinson, 65, was sentenced to three years’ probation and will be required to register as a sex offender, court records show.
DALLAS — Dallas real estate developer and TV personality William “Bill” Hutchinson pleaded guilty this week to a misdemeanor sexual battery charge in Orange County California, in connection to an assault of a minor in Laguna Beach in 2021, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed.
Hutchinson, 65, was sentenced to three years’ probation and will be required to register as a sex offender, court records show.
He is also to serve 90 days of “home detention” in Texas, which the law defines as 12 consecutive evening hours in his residence while being monitored by a probation-approved provider.
One felony count of rape and four additional charges of sexual battery against Hutchinson were also dismissed this week as part of a plea deal, according to Hutchinson’s attorney and court records.
Hutchinson had previously pleaded not guilty to those other charges, court records show.
“We are pleased to announce that the Orange County District Attorneys and my client Bill Hutchinson have reached a plea agreement in return for a dismissal of 5 very serious charges,” Hutchinson’s attorney Levi McCathern said in a statement. “Mr. Hutchinson is pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor, which sentenced him to probation with no jail time and a $150.00 fine. He and his family are relieved to have this matter behind them.”
Hutchinson has faced a rash of sexual assault allegations in recent years.
He was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his Highland Park home in 2021, but Hutchinson denied those allegations. A Dallas County grand jury declined to indict him on that charge in 2022.
He still faces a civil lawsuit from three women in Dallas County, however. The defendants in that case allege that Hutchinson sexually assaulted each of the women at different locations in Dallas throughout 2020, according to the lawsuit.
Attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel, who represents those three women, said this week that her clients’ lawsuit is still active, and set for trial in November.
“I applaud the courage of this survivor, whose bravery in coming forward not only led to a measure of justice for what she went through, but also helped shine a light on the actions of a man who is now a registered sex offender,” Tuegel said of the California case. “It is not easy to come forward against a public person and stand in your truth waiting years for a court date, but this survivor’s courage shows the potential impact of every voice.”
Hutchinson previously starred in the Lifetime series “Marrying Millions,” which highlighted his relationship with a woman 40 years younger than him.
The commercial real estate company he founded, Dunhill Partners, is known for, among other things, developing Virgin Hotel Dallas. Hutchinson stepped down as the company’s CEO in the wake of allegations made against him.
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