Pediatric Nurse Arrested on Charges of Molesting Newborn Foster Child in San Diego
SAN DIEGO, CA – Mike William Lutts, 50,of San Diego, was arrested Tuesday at his College Grove home after police found evidence that he molested a 2-month-old infant in his care, and took graphic cellphone photos and videos of the abuse, KTLA news reported. A federal criminal complaint filed Wednesday, described graphic images showing repeated acts of molestation over several weeks “with the baby crying throughout one video.”
Lutts was a foster parent and also employed as a nurse of Kaiser Permanente.The child he is accused of molesting was placed in his care August 4th. According to court documents, Lutts touched and manipulated the infant’s genitals while masturbating and performing lewd acts while videotaping himself.
NBC San Diego reported Lutts was previously identified as someone involved in child pornography distribution after a search warrant was served in April on an email address belonging to an individual distributing child pornography. According to the criminal complaint, Lutts sent child porn images to the email address in December 2013.
Lutts is charged with a federal violation of sexual exploitation of a child. A representative for the FBI said the U.S. Attorney’s office could still file additional charges against the suspect. Because of his occupation as a nurse, the FBI believes there may be additional victims. Anyone who may have information or believes they know a victim should contact the FBI at 858-320-1800.
Kaiser Permanente, Lutts’ employer, said Thursday that he will not be returning to work until the investigation and criminal proceedings are finished.
There are a number of unfortunate reasons that children placed in the foster care system suffer higher rates of abuse and neglect. Overwhelmed foster care systems, inadequate monitoring, lack of background checks and poor screening are all explanations why neglect and abusive conditions exist. However, children have rights and deserve to be protected. The San Diego sexual abuse lawyers at Estey Bomberger have represented many victims of sexual abuse in foster homes. In 2010, founding partner Steve Estey obtained the largest single-plaintiff sexual abuse verdict in US history for a victim of sexual abuse in foster care (see John Doe v. Family Foster Agency).
If your child suffered abuse in a foster home, contact Estey Bomberger for a free consultation at 800-925-0723.