James Hooker back in court for child porn after victim’s death ends molestation case
Almost a year after his arrest, former Enochs High School teacher James Hooker appeared in a Modesto courtroom Monday for a brief hearing in his child pornography case — as the parents of alleged victim Autumn Rose looked on from just feet away.
Hooker, 55, sat in the front row of the gallery when Judge Jeff Mangar called his case just before 9 a.m. in Stanislaus County Superior Court. He was waiting by the door of the courtroom, dressed in a red polo shirt, black pants and brown shoes and holding a briefcase. Hooker is charged with a single felony count of possessing child pornography and remains out of custody on bond.
Deputy District Attorney Larissa Jones appeared virtually, while defense attorney Robert D. Chase was present in the courtroom. The two sides confirmed that a key piece of evidence — digital discovery involving images of a minor — still was in the process of being delivered.
Mangar scheduled Hooker’s preliminary hearing for Nov. 17 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 3. The hearing is expected to last at least an hour.
Following the hearing, the mother of Autumn Rose — the woman Hooker was living with when she died in early July at the age of 20 — shared her reaction. “Seeing him there was infuriating,” Marina Gonzales told The Bee. “He had his face covered, and I was just sitting there, feeling disgust and sadness because my daughter is gone, and he’s walking around free.”
Hooker was arrested in September 2024. At the time, authorities said a minor had contacted police alleging Hooker had shared and possessed explicit material of children. Autumn was a key witness in the investigation, according to her family and law enforcement, but she died in July 2025 before the case reached preliminary hearing. Her death led to the dismissal of an earlier child molestation charge.
Prosecutors say Hooker began a sexual relationship with her when she was 15. The two later married after she turned 18. But without her testimony, Stanislaus County Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson said, prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to proceed.
Autumn’s father, Matthew Rose, previously told The Bee that Hooker manipulated Autumn into slapping him — then used that incident to file a restraining order against her. Gonzales, too, has said she believes the order was an effort to silence Autumn and complicate the investigation.
Monday’s hearing largely focused on the status of discovery. Chase said he was still waiting on a working link to review the digital evidence. Jones said she would ensure the file was resent immediately.
Gonzales called the repeated delays frustrating and emotionally taxing. “They’ve had all the opportunity … now I guess there’s a link,” she said. “He’s (Chase) at some point going to try and get that thrown out. But the DA’s Office told me they’re confident in the evidence and that nothing will be dismissed — and I hope that’s the case.”
Gonzales also shared that Autumn, before her death, was growing discouraged by how long the process was taking.
She said she has requested a copy of her daughter’s autopsy report from the Coroner’s Office. She said officials told her it would list a medical cause of death. Law enforcement previously confirmed that her death was investigated as suspicious, but ultimately ruled to be health-related — possibly alcohol-related liver failure, according to Emerson.
At the November hearing, prosecutors are expected to present the evidence publicly for the first time. Gonzales said she hopes it marks a turning point in the case. “I’m hoping this moves things forward — that the judge sees the evidence and realizes this crime needs to continue through the process,” she said. “And I hope he gets sentenced to prison.”
Hooker did not speak in court and did not respond to repeated requests for comment outside the courtroom.
