Sutton Stracke, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star, has gone public with her new boyfriend, John C. Kelly, also known as Johnny Kelly. However, the relationship has attracted attention because of Kelly’s criminal past. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to two misdemeanor counts of attempted unlawful surveillance involving two women.
Stracke and Kelly attended Aerosmith’s “California Dream On” benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl on November 1. The following day, she shared photos from the event, including one showing Kelly kissing her cheek.
Sutton Stracke’s boyfriend John Kelly pleaded guilty in secret recording case
According to Page Six, the pair met on Bumble and have been spending time together since the summer.
DNAinfo reported that Kelly’s legal troubles date back to November 2013, when police arrested him after three women accused him of secretly recording them during sexual encounters between 2011 and 2012. He subsequently faced multiple unlawful surveillance charges.
Kelly’s defense argued that the camera was intended to monitor his dog and had accidentally recorded the encounters. The case did not go to trial.
In August 2016, Kelly pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of attempted unlawful surveillance involving two women. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed that he received 10 days of community service.
At the time, Kelly’s attorney questioned the integrity of the evidence and the credibility of the complaints. Prosecutors said the plea agreement also spared the women from having the recordings shown during a public trial.
Stracke had previously spoken about returning to dating. In March, she expressed interest in having a boyfriend based on the East Coast.
“I’d like to have a boyfriend, but a boyfriend in New York sounds pretty good,” she said, according to EntertainmentNow.
However, she also made it clear that she was not rushing into a relationship.
“The dating life comes and goes,” she explained. “Sometimes I feel like it, and sometimes I don’t.”
Her new relationship follows her 2016 divorce from Christian Stracke, with whom she shares three children.
Stracke is currently filming Season 16 of RHOBH. It remains unclear whether Kelly will appear on the show.
