On Tuesday, Ceres Police responded to an unknown call.
During this call, Ceres Police came across James Hooker, 54, of Turlock.
Officers discovered Hooker had a felony warrant of arrest out of Turlock for committing lewd and lascivious with a child 14 or 15 years and possession of child pornography.
Hooker was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on his warrant. He then posted bail and was released at 8:33am Wednesday.
The Turlock Police investigation began on Friday, May 17, 2024, when the victim, now an adult, came into contact with officers during an unrelated incident.
“During that contact, the victim disclosed to police that her four-year relationship with Hooker began when she was a 15-year-old middle school student,” said Public Affairs Analyst Sanchez. “She revealed that they met through social media and that their relationship continued until she turned 18, at which point they married.”
An investigation was promptly started and the case was assigned to Detective Navarro.
Navarro quickly gathered critical evidence and statements, which led to the issuance of Hooker’s warrant on Friday, September 13.
“They did meet on this dating website, he knew her age, they started engaging in sexual misconduct, and then eventually they got married when she turned 18,” Navarro told KCRA-TV. “Once he met the victim, he started taking her out to the mall in Modesto, taking her shopping, taking her out to dinner, and then eventually two weeks later he started having sexual intercourse with her. I’ve seen him on other dating sites between the time that we started investigating this case to the day when he got arrested by Ceres PD, so he’s been out there trying to solicit other women.”
Hooker was previously involved in highly publicized relationships with young women, which sparked controversy in the community. As a result, law enforcement believes other victims may have not yet come forward. Detectives are urging anyone with information about Hooker or similar incidents to contact them.
In 2012, Hooker gained national attention while working at Enochs High School in Modesto, leaving his wife and kids for a former student. At that time, another former student came forward, claiming she had also had a relationship with Hooker in 1998 when she was 17 years old. For that case, Hooker was sentenced to four years of probation which included having to register as a sex offender.
According to online records, Hooker lives at the Lakeside Apartments in the 2900 block of Niagra Street. Police are urging parents to be weary.
“Getting James Hooker off the streets is a victory for the community and especially for potential victims who may have been at risk,” said Navarro. “This is an important step, but our work is far from over. We believe there could be other victims out there, and we will continue to follow every lead to ensure justice is served.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist is encouraged to call Detective Navarro at 209-664-7319.
