A Colorado Springs sex offender was found guilty Tuesday ofsexually abusing a toddler at his wife's home daycare service.
Prosecutors described William "Bill" Kutzly as an experiencedpredator who picked the perfect victim - a troubled 3-year-old boywhom he repeatedly assaulted between December 2007 and December2008.
Kutzly, 66, shook his head as 4th Judicial District Judge RonaldCrowder announced guilty verdicts on two felony sex assault counts,including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.
He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 26.
The eight-woman, four-man jury rendered its verdict just fourhours after closing arguments. The six-day trial included testimonyby two previous victims, including a former stepdaughter of Kutzly'swho prosecutors say spoke of crimes that were never prosecuted.
The latest victim, now 6, suffered a seizure during his testimonylast week, part of a disorder that stems from a benign brain tumor.
He was able to finish his testimony the following day - butcouldn't identify Kutzler as his attacker.
The Gazette generally withholds the names of those alleging sexcrimes. To protect the boy's identity, his mother will not be namedin this story.
According to prosecutors, the boy was a hyperactive toddler withtrouble communicating when his mother placed him in the care ofKutzly's wife, Barbara Carr, who ran a daytime babysitting serviceout of her home at 26 S. Murray Blvd.
Prosecutor Laurel Cain said the business was unlicensed. ColoradoDepartment of Human Services spokeswoman Liz McDonough said shecould find no record of any licensing information for Carr orKutzly.
Kutzly worked hard to gain the boy's trust before the abusebegan, usually when Carr was in another room or away from the house,Cain said.
Despite the boy's difficulty on the stand, prosecutors said herecalled his abuse in graphic terms, with a level of detail thatcouldn't be faked - a conclusion they say was bolstered by childabuse experts who offered testimony.
Kutzly all but acknowledged his guilt by fleeing Colorado uponlearning he was under investigation, Cain said in closing argumentsTuesday.
"The heat was on, and he was gone," she said.
Kutzly was ultimately tracked down in Florida.
Defense attorneys countered that their client did nothing morethan help care for the boy, and called Kutzly a victim of his past.
Public defender Adam Steigerwald said the boy's mother beganencouraging him talk about abuse after learning from an Internetsearch that Kutzly was a registered sex offender.
Steigerwald implored the jury to set aside their feelings aboutKutzly's "reprehensible" past and focus on the gaps andinconsistencies in the boy's accounts, which he called evidence ofcoaching.
Prosecutor Brien Cecil said the woman searched the Internet onlyafter son told her about sex acts he was forced to perform.
The boy had previously accused Kutzly of touching his penis, butthe man claimed it was because the boy had diarrhea and needed to bebathed.
Read more about Tuesday's courtroom testimony at The Sidebarblog.
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