A sailor based at Kings Bay, Ga., who previously served at Subase Bangor, recently was charged with sexually molesting 13 children, according to Navy and law enforcement officials.

One of Petty Officer 1st Class Elloy Torrez Gutierrez’s 13 alleged child molestations reportedly occurred while he was assigned to Bangor. The 35-year-old resident of Kingsland, Ga., was arrested at his home by Camden County (Ga.) deputy sheriffs on Friday, Feb. 22.

The victims were between the ages of seven and 15, and were both boys and girls, according to Camden County Sheriff Department spokesman Lt. William Terrell.

“Everyone thought he was strange, but nobody thought he was harmful,” said Terrell, who called Gutierrez a typical sexual predator.

Gutierrez is a Washington native who enlisted in the Navy in 1986, said Lt. Doug Gabos, public affairs officer for Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. He transferred from Bangor to Kings Bay in 1997 and served as an electronics technician aboard the USS Louisiana before being assigned to the Trident Training Facility there.

Officials first learned of Gutierrez’s activities when a mother told Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents that he made some inappropriate contact with her child.

Deputies and NCIS investigators later questioned Gutierrez at his home, where they found child pornography, games and toys that appealed to children. After further questioning, Terrell said Gutierrez gave investigators the names of his victims.

Kings Bay NCIS agents reportedly are investigating whether he committed offenses while stationed elsewhere. Gutierrez was stationed at most of the submarine bases in the continental United States, including Norfolk, Va. and New London, Conn.

A Bangor NCIS investigator and a Submarine Group 9 spokesman both said they were awaiting more information from Kings Bay before looking into the local sodomy charge, which allegedly occurred six or seven years ago.

“We fully expect it will be investigated here,” Lt. Kevin Stephens of Sub Group 9 said.

Gutierrez reportedly came into contact with children by volunteering at two Georgia elementary schools, at an on-base youth basketball league and with a Cub Scout pack. Gutierrez volunteered so much at one school that he recently was honored with an award.

Central Kitsap School District officials said they have discovered no evidence that Gutierrez volunteered at any local schools.

District spokesperson Jeanie Schulze said the Washington State Patrol conducts a background check on each volunteer. Teachers or parents supervise community volunteers at all times, she said.

“This program is very successful and has been recognized at the national level,” Schulze said of the 13-year-old Partners in Excellence of Cooperative Education, in which sailors volunteer in area schools. “We have Navy partners in every school who provide 20,000 hours of volunteer time annually.”

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