Deepa BharathThe defense admitted Thursday that a...

Deepa Bharath

The defense admitted Thursday that a former Newport Beach recreation

coordinator sucked on the toes of several boys enrolled in the city’s

after-school programs, but argued that it was not sexual.

In his opening statements at Orange County Superior Court, defense

attorney John Dolan said Trenton Michael Veches sucked and sometimes

bit the children’s toes and it was “weird and quirky,” but said it

was not for sexual gratification.

Prosecutor Sheila Hanson disagreed, portraying 32-year-old Veches

as a man with a serious foot fetish who used the children for his

sexual gratification. She said the sight of children’s feet aroused

him and he took digital photographs of the boys’ feet, as well as of

himself sucking the children’s toes.

Veches faces 28 felony counts of lewd contact with minors. He

pleaded not guilty to the felonies, but pleaded guilty to one

misdemeanor count of possessing child pornography. Veches quit his

job after the allegations. If convicted, he faces life in prison

without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years.

“He admitted himself to Detective Tom Monarch that he was obsessed

with feet,” Hanson said, referring to a taped interview between

Veches and the detective. Part of it was played in court Thursday.

Veches initially told Monarch he did not have child pornography in

his computer, but confessed after he found out police were going to

search his home, Hanson said.

“He told the detective that the [child] porno thing started two

years ago and that it has become an addiction and taken over his

life,” she said.

Veches’ attorney characterized him as an affectionate youth

leader. Dolan said Veches was a hard-working, ambitious young man who

came from Tucson with hopes of becoming a screenwriter.

Dolan told jurors that his client worked 40- to 50-hour weeks and

pursued a master’s in business administration and other academic

courses in his spare time. He said that before April 2002, when

Veches was arrested on suspicion of the crimes, everyone who knew him

loved and respected him.

“He was a loving man,” Dolan said. “He was this big kid and the

kids loved him.”

He said the children at the after-school programs removed their

shoes and were allowed to be barefoot even when Veches was not

around.

“It’s a beach community,” Dolan said. “It’s not like Veches waves

a magic wand and people take off their shoes.”

Eight boys took the stand Thursday, and the prosecution plans to

present 15 more as witnesses. Most of the eight gave similar

testimonies, stating that Veches either sucked or bit their toes, put

their feet in his mouth or massaged their feet. Some said it felt

“weird” or “odd,” and others said they didn’t think it was strange at

the time.

The children were between 8 and 11 years old. One of them said

that when Veches took his foot and sucked it, Veches said, “I like

feet.” Another boy testified that Veches sucked on his toes for

nearly 20 minutes in the back seat of a bus while returning from a

field trip to Universal Studios.

“He told me I shouldn’t tell anyone,” the boy said.

That boy said he told his mother, who also testified Thursday. She

said she confronted Veches the next day and told him she would report

him to city officials if he did it again.

All boys said that Veches was nice to them and he never hurt them

physically. Some said he wrestled with them and often gave them

candy.

Veches, who was dressed in a dark gray suit and tie, smiled and

nodded as he heard the boys testify or when they pointed in his

direction to identify him.

Newport Beach Police detectives searching his home found about 600

pictures of Veches sucking the boys’ toes -- digital photos in 16

file folders, each labeled under a different boy’s name -- among

videos and more photographs of a similar nature, Hanson said.

Dolan said outside the courtroom that he expects Veches to take

the stand. The prosecution will continue with testimony Monday

morning.