Defendant tied to pedophile website

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains graphic language of a sexual nature.

Jurors in the aggravated sexual assault trial of an Odessa man heard testimony Thursday from a Homeland Security special agent who testified he came across disturbing posts on a website catering to pedophiles he believes were written by the defendant.

Special Agent Jason Grijalva, who is based in El Paso, told jurors he was assisting the Homeland Security office in Washington, D.C. investigate a now-defunct website called Rapey.Su when he discovered two months’ worth of posts written in the fall of 2020 by a man who claimed to be a 28-year-old father of three who lived in Odessa and was 6-feet-5 inches tall.

A further investigation revealed the StretchXWood2020 account was linked to a Gmail account belonging to a Dakota Hoyt, who lived in Odessa, whose driver’s license matched pictures posted on the website and whose date of birth also matched that of the person who created the account, Grijalva said. The special agent also provided the credit card number associated with the account.

Hoyt, 30, is currently on trial in the 358th Ector County District Court on three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Assistant Ector County District Attorneys Melissa Rayne and William Prasher told jurors they believe the evidence will show Hoyt, who has three children, victimized the girl when she was 5-years-old in the fall of 2020 and in July 2021.

A sexual assault nurse examiner testified earlier this week she found an abnormality in the girl’s rectum that could indicate the girl had been sodomized. She also acknowledged, however, it could be indicative of other issues, including constipation. The same nurse testified the girl described Hoyt raping her, sodomizing her and having her perform oral sex on him.

The girl’s great grandmother testified the child told her Hoyt had sodomized her in July 2021 and her daughter, the child’s grandmother, called authorities. She, her daughter, granddaughter and great grandkids have all since moved out-of-state.

On Thursday, Prasher had Grijalva read post after post after post allegedly written by Hoyt on Rapey.Su from Oct. 1, 2020 to Dec. 1, 2020 when the federal government shut down the website.

Using sexually explicit and crude terms, StretchXWood2020 repeatedly asked for people to share child pornography with him. He also expressed positive views on sex with children, incest, gang rape, anal sex and men sexually assaulting their wives. He also bragged about the size of his penis and alleged his 4-year-old daughter had a voracious appetite for oral sex.

Jurors had already heard testimony Hoyt’s nickname is Stretch and he’s 6-foot, 5-inches tall.

Under cross-examination from defense attorney Scott Layh, Grijalva agreed it is possible for people to access other people’s Facebook and Instagram accounts when using those people’s phones. He also agreed people can have Facebook and Instagram accounts and not post anything. He declined to say if someone could access an existing Rapey.Su account through someone else’s phone or if there were people on Rapey.Su who never posted anything.

Grijalva also testified Hoyt has never been charged in federal court with any crimes pertaining to his investigation.

Jurors were told earlier this week no child pornography was found on Hoyt’s cell phone. Noel Vidal, another special agent with Homeland Security, testified Thursday that when examining the data on Hoyt’s phone he found internet searches about deleting data on cell phones and child sexual abuse.

After the state rested their case, Layh called the alleged victim’s great grandmother, mother and grandfather to the stand. He also called Hoyt’s parents.

The great grandmother admitted the family was kicked out of the motel room prosecutors paid for Wednesday night because someone smelled marijuana in the room.

The child’s grandfather testified his former wife once falsely accused him of molesting the child’s mother when she was small as part of an extortion attempt. Two other witnesses were called to corroborate his story.

Hoyt’s mother, Carol, testified the child told her she was told to say Hoyt touched her privates with his privates by her great grandmother and was given candy as a reward. She also testified she never noticed any behavioral changes in the child and she never appeared frightened of Hoyt.

Hoyt’s father, William, also said the child told him she was told what to say by her great grandmother and rewarded with candy. He further testified the child’s grandmother once texted him using Hoyt’s phone.

The alleged victim’s mother acknowledged Hoyt was only one of several people who used her credit card, but she insisted no one had access to Hoyt’s phone.

Layh also asked the child’s mother the same question he asked her Wednesday: Isn’t it true the child told her she’d lied about the sexual abuse?

Wednesday she acknowledged that was true.

Thursday she denied having said that.

Judge John Shrode is presiding over the trial.

Closing arguments are slated for Friday morning.