Couple faces up to 7 years in assault case

A Newport Beach fitness photographer facing charges that he had sex with a 14-year-old girl had his arraignment rescheduled for July 18.

Jason Ellis, 33, and his fiancee, Michelle Hecker, 31, are accused of using the girl’s aspirations of a modeling career as a way to groom her to eventually have sex with Ellis.

The girl, now 15, met Hecker through their shared interest in horseback riding, prosecutors said. Hecker introduced the girl to Ellis, who between August 2007 and June 2008 took the girl on dates and had sex with her, prosecutors said.

Hecker is accused of aiding and abetting the relationship by gaining the trust of the girl’s parents and picking her up from her home under the ruse that they were going horseback riding.

Hecker would then take the girl to see Ellis, leave them alone for a while, then have the girl change back into her horseback-riding clothes and go home, prosecutors said.

The girl’s parents grew suspicious and hired a private investigator because she was spending a lot of time with the couple, prosecutors said.

The girl’s parents alerted authorities after getting a report from the private investigator, prosecutors said.

Ellis has shot photos for Calvin Klein ads, FHM magazine, and Health and Fitness magazine, among others.

Ellis and Hecker each face up to seven years in prison if convicted of all six charges.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].