West Pittston man sentenced for sexually assaulting girls

WILKES-BARRE — A West Pittston man was deemed a sexually violent predator when he was sentenced to spend up to eight years in state prison for sexually assaulting two girls in September 2020.

Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas on Wednesday sentenced Robert James Hutchins, 21, to three-to-eight years in state prison on two counts each of statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors, followed by three years probation.

Hutchins pled guilty to the charges April 12, 2022.

His sentencing hearing was continued several times due to a change over of defense attorneys.

As Hutchins was deemed a sexually violent predator, he is mandated to lifetime registration of his address, employment location and vehicle under the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Hutchins also was ordered to pay $3,885 in restitution to one of the victims for medical expenses.

West Pittston police charged Hutchins with giving a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl “Molly” (a slang term for Ecstasy), played “Truth or Dare” with the girls, forced them to kiss each other, and pressured them to engage in sexual acts with him inside his residence on Sept. 4-5, 2020, according to court records.

The younger girl told police the older teen was intoxicated when Hutchins assaulted her sexually, court records say.

When police learned of the offense, they executed a search warrant at his residence Sept. 5, 2020.

Hutchins stood in the doorway of his bedroom refusing to allow officers to enter, court records say.

Police pepper-sprayed Hutchins, who attempted to spit on officers when he was led out of the residence.

Hutchins previously pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and simple assault and was sentenced to 30 days to 20 months in prison.

In an unrelated case, Hutchins was sentenced in Lackawanna County Court on July 12, 2022, to 34-to-78 months in state prison on a firearm offense in Taylor and an aggravated assault case in Scranton.