Shivangi Sinha
In July 2021, police executed a search warrant at Justin Rutherford’s home in Amity Township, Pennsylvania. During the search, investigators uncovered numerous secretly recorded videos and other disturbing material on his computer, which revealed that multiple children had been filmed without their knowledge. At the time, Justin was married and living with his then-wife, Stacey Rutherford, along with their four children. The subsequent case and the investigation that led to his capture have been profiled in ABC’s ‘Betrayal: Under His Eye.’
Justin Rutherford Had Been Secretly Recording Minors For Years
Justin Rutherford first met Stacey Rutherford in 2015. Originally from Douglassville, Pennsylvania, he was a medical student at the time, but he quickly made Stacey feel comfortable and secure in his presence. She envisioned a future with him, and together they welcomed two children in the years that followed. In 2019, the couple married and purchased a home in Amity Township, Pennsylvania, where they settled with their blended family, which also included Stacey’s kids, Mikayla and Tyler VanScyoc. Around this time, Justin began his medical residency and was working toward establishing himself as a doctor. He went on to practice at the Tower Health Medical Group in West Reading, Pennsylvania, where he built a strong professional reputation and was well-regarded in his field.
Life appeared perfectly normal for the Rutherford family until July 27, 2021, when police arrived at their home with a search warrant. The investigation began after a young boy, a friend of Justin’s stepson, Tyler, discovered a “black box” while showering at the house. He showed it to his mother, who asked him to retrieve it, and upon inspection, it was revealed to be a hidden camera. This discovery prompted authorities to dig deeper, and they later reported uncovering 2,822 videos and 1,400 images stored on the device, with recordings dating back to 2018. The camera was motion-activated and had captured numerous individuals, including both children and adults. On August 10, police returned to seize multiple electronic devices and other materials from the home. Throughout the investigation, Justin insisted that he had nothing to do with the recordings and denied ever filming anyone secretly.
Justin Rutherford Faced Sexual Abuse Charges From His Stepson
Shortly after police seized the material from the Rutherford home, Justin Rutherford fled and cut off contact with his family. Investigators later confirmed his involvement when his wife identified him in one of the recordings. He was seen placing a device, and his wedding band was clearly visible on his ring finger. During this time, he was reportedly in the UK. Meanwhile, his stepson, Tyler, disclosed that he had been sexually abused by Justin for years. Soon after, another boy reported to authorities that he, too, had been abused by the doctor. Efforts to track Justin intensified, and on October 2, 2021, he was arrested at Dulles International Airport in Virginia while returning from the UK. He was charged and his medical employment was immediately terminated.
While Justin was awaiting trial, police intercepted a series of letters he had written to his godmother, Deborah Cline. The elderly woman had long been close to Justin’s children and often stayed with the family to help with daily routines. However, investigators discovered that Justin had been instructing her on how to kill his stepson, whom he viewed as the most damaging witness against him. The letters reportedly included the boy’s whereabouts and detailed directions on how to avoid DNA detection and how to carry out the act in what he described as a “painless” manner. This led to an additional charge of criminal solicitation to commit first-degree murder against him.
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Justin Rutherford is Serving His Sentence Today
In December 2021, the first civil lawsuit against Justin Rutherford was filed in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. The suit included claims of gross negligence, invasion of privacy, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. It sought both compensatory and punitive damages, though the amounts were unspecified, and requested a jury trial. The case was initiated by one of his victims, with the victim’s parents also listed as plaintiffs. In October 2022, he pleaded guilty to several serious offenses, including rape of an unconscious person, rape of a child, invasion of privacy, and sexual abuse of multiple children. Then, in January 2023, prosecutors filed additional charges against him for criminal solicitation to commit first-degree murder, which is still pending a separate trial.
By May 2023, Justin entered a non-negotiated guilty plea, leaving his sentencing entirely up to the discretion of the court. He was ultimately sentenced to a prison term ranging from 26 years and 10 months to 70 years. In addition to his prison sentence, he was also ordered to serve 12 years of special probation upon completion of his incarceration. Now 36 years old, Justin is currently housed at the Albion State Correctional Institution in Albion, Pennsylvania. While his punishment ensures he will spend decades behind bars, the specific details regarding his parole eligibility and future hearings have not yet been made public.
