A 43-year-old Canyon Lake man known locally as “Naked Gary” was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday for indecency with a child by exposure, a third-degree felony.
Charges were “enhanced” to the second-degree punishment range due to Gary Thomas Ruttten II’s prior felony conviction.
He was found guilty by a jury on May 29 but elected to have his punishment determined by the court.
Rutten was arrested on April 6, 2022, for masturbating in front of a toddler.
Comal County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a call in the 300 block of Canyon Springs Drive after a mother leaving for work heard her toddler make a “woah” or “look” noise and pointed to a naked man on the property who was completely nude and masturbating less than five feet away.
The mother screamed for the man to leave, and Rutten ran on foot toward a wooded area behind the home.
Shortly after, a neighbor heard a car start and leave the wooded area close to the home.
The mother told police she remembered seeing the man in her neighborhood but didn’t know his name — just that she’d seen him driving in the area and at local businesses, including nearby gas stations and the Dollar General store.
A CCSO detective soon learned Rutten fit the description of the naked male, along with other reports of a nude male in the area.
Surveillance footage from security cameras installed at Rutten’s neighbor’s house showed him leaving and returning to his residence within the timeframe of the offense.
The neighbor told the detective he installed the cameras due to ongoing issues with Rutten and his nudity.
CCSO Cpl. Jacob Crabb testified Rutten was jovially known as ”Naked Gary” for other incidents in Canyon Lake and Comal County, but his conduct had escalated to confronting women in public places while nude and masturbating after trespassing on private property.
A statement by Comal County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said Rutten had many previous felony convictions, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and evading arrest with a motor vehicle, resulting in serious bodily injury.