Autumn Rose’s family speaks out after charges dropped against James Hooker
By Anahita Jafary
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STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) — Matthew Rose, the father of Autumn Rose, expressed his grief and disbelief after his 20-year-old daughter was allegedly victimized by James Hooker, a man significantly older than her.
“I just kind of hope that I wake up tomorrow, and this is just a bad dream,” Rose said.
He described the relationship between Autumn and Hooker, who is 55, as manipulative, saying, “He took something from her, like he took her innocence.”
Autumn’s mother, Marina Gonzales, revealed that her daughter was only 15 when she began a relationship with Hooker.
Last year, Hooker was arrested on charges of lewd acts with a child and possession of child pornography, to which he pleaded not guilty in January. He refused to comment when approached outside the courtroom.
Matthew Rose further explained, “She was a little kid when she met him, and he was a grown old man, so he manipulated and like, molded her to be a certain way.”
Hooker has been involved in controversial relationships before, gaining national attention in 2012 when he left his family to live with Jordan Powers, a former student he met when she was 14.
Powers’ mother, Tammie Powers-Peacock, said, “James changed the trajectory of her life.”
Another woman came forward, claiming she was in a relationship with Hooker in 1998 when she was 17, leading to charges of oral copulation, a misdemeanor, and he pleaded no contest. He was forced to register as a sex offender, but is no longer listed in the sex offender registry.
In the recent Stanislaus County case involving Autumn, the lewd act charges were dropped.
Matthew Rose explained, “The DA said, well, because the victim is deceased, we can’t continue with one of these and that’s how they dropped it.”
Autumn was found dead in July, days before she was set to testify against Hooker. The district attorney’s office stated the charges were dismissed due to lack of evidence and because the alleged victim died.
“There’s a hole in my heart that will never be filled,” Rose said. “I’ll never be the same. That’s how I feel when I miss her terribly.”
Marina Gonzalez added, “Yeah, everything is different. Everything is just changed.”
When asked if she had a message for young girls like Autumn, Gonzales urged others to come forward, saying, “I want people to realize that she was just a child, and that there may be more victims out there and if anybody is afraid to step up, please don’t.”
Autumn’s death is still under investigation, with police stating it does not appear to be a crime. The autopsy results have not been disclosed to KCRA.
Hooker is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on child pornography charges.
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