Episode 396: They Never Stop

In February 2008, two trusted members of the Turlock, California community - a police officer and a teacher - are both accused of exploiting their positions to prey on a 17-year-old student. As the cases unfold, shocking details emerge about how the abuse began and how it was hidden. Years later, another respected educator from the same town is exposed for an inappropriate relationship with a student, setting off a chain of events that will eventually lead to a Dr. Phil appearance and a criminal investigation that stretches across decades. In episode 396, Jac and Alexis explore the crimes of officer Jorge Cruz and teacher James Hooker, and how patterns of grooming, manipulation, and abuse continued long after the first warning signs appeared. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon: patreon.com/thefirstdegree 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee 👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 📓 Substack: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can listen to Episode 396: They Never Stop online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 396: They Never Stop is an episode from The First Degree by Alexis Linkletter and Jac Vanek.

This episode is 55:10 long.

This episode was published on Apr 1, 2026.

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