69-Year-Old Man Receives Sentence for Answering Door Nude to Trick-or-Treaters: ‘My Biggest Mistake’

Jay Lee Hearshman, a 69-year-old resident of Rancho El Dorado, has been sentenced for child-related sex crimes in Pinal County Superior Court.

Hearshman’s guilty plea follows a Halloween incident in 2023 where he answered his door, fully nude, to trick-or-treaters. This led to multiple complaints, prompting a police response where officers found him still unclothed. During his arrest, he claimed to have been heavily intoxicated after consuming two bottles of wine.

Following his arrest, law enforcement executed search warrants at his residence, seizing 11 electronic devices. Reports indicate that child pornography was discovered, including materials last accessed in 2015. This resulted in additional charges, to which Hearshman also pleaded guilty.

On March 17, Hearshman entered a plea agreement on a charge of felony indecent exposure. Prosecutors dropped a more serious initial charge, citing it was filed in error. He is to serve two weeks in a Pinal County jail and is required to register as a sex offender, alongside lifetime supervised probation.

His defense team pointed to his age, absence of prior offenses, and struggles with addiction as mitigating factors. They noted that Hearshman’s actions were non-violent and that he had cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation.

In a statement to the judge, Hearshman remarked, “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I promise you nothing like this will ever happen again.”