by | Published
A Comal County man known locally as “Naked Gary” has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for indecency with a child by exposure, following a string of disturbing incidents in the Canyon Lake area.
On October 6, 2025, 43-year-old Gary Thomas Rutten II was sentenced by Judge Bruce Boyer of the 22nd District Court. Rutten was convicted by a jury on May 29, 2025, of Indecency with a Child by Exposure, a third-degree felony enhanced to a second-degree punishment range due to a prior felony conviction.
The charge stemmed from an incident on April 6, 2022, when a Canyon Lake mother and her toddler encountered a nude man trespassing on their property. The man, later identified as Rutten, was standing just a few feet away, masturbating while staring at the woman. She screamed for him to leave, and he fled into a wooded area. A neighbor later reported hearing a car leave from that same area.
Detective Eric Guerrettaz with the Comal County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. Security footage from a nearby home showed Rutten leaving and returning to his house during the time of the incident. The neighbor who provided the footage told investigators he had installed the cameras because of ongoing issues with Rutten’s public nudity.
Further investigation revealed additional reports of similar behavior by Rutten, including an incident at a nearby Dollar General where a woman witnessed him standing completely nude beside his car, staring at her. The vehicle in that incident matched Rutten’s car seen in surveillance footage from the morning of the initial offense.
During sentencing, the prosecution presented evidence of other indecent exposure incidents around Canyon Lake and Comal County, showing Rutten’s conduct had grown more aggressive over time. He was once regarded as a local nuisance, earning the nickname “Naked Gary,” but his actions escalated to confronting women and exposing himself on private property.
Prosecutors also introduced Rutten’s prior felony convictions, including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
The Comal County District Attorney’s Office thanked the Sheriff’s Office, Detective Guerrettaz, and community members who came forward with evidence, crediting their cooperation and vigilance for helping bring Rutten to justice.
Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer Feldman, Tiffany Hartman, and Henna LeVasseur prosecuted the case with the support of DA Investigators Ashley Eicher and Brian Kempker.
