The Survivor star went on television to discuss his teenage son's relationship with a 28-year-old.

09:44 AM EST on Friday, November 19, 2004

BY RICHARD SALIT
Journal Staff Writer

An East Greenwich police report details the story Survivor star Richard Hatch Jr. told Wednesday on the Dr. Phil TV show about his 14-year-old son's encounter with a man he branded a pedophile.

Hatch, a Newport resident who won Survivor in the reality show's first season, went to the East Greenwich police on Aug. 15 with his concerns about his son's relationship with a town resident. According to the police report, Hatch said he had been recording his son's phone calls and learned that Chris and a man had been engaging in phone sex and had talked about the sex they planned to have together.

Hatch told the police that summer night that he believed his son was at the man's home at that moment, the report states. He gave the police the suspect's name and address.

The police went to 21 Hyland Ave., where they were greeted by 28-year-old Jeffrey D. Resch, who said he had a friend inside. He allowed the officers to search his home, and they found a boy under a bed.

The reports released by the police do not identify Chris, but Hatch told talk-show host Phil McGraw that his son was hiding in the bedroom.

Resch admitted to having lewd telephone conversations with the minor and picking him up, but said they had not had sex. He admitted to being attracted to the teenager. The police charged him with enticement of children, first offense, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Both are misdemeanors.

In court the following day, Resch pleaded no contest to enticement. He received one year of probation and was ordered to attend mental health counseling and to have no contact with his victim. The judge dismissed the other charge.

Hatch, who after winning Survivor moved from Middletown to his Newport home on Annandale Road, appeared on Dr. Phil with Chris. The Wednesday show was titled, "Pedophiles: A Parent's Worst Nightmare."

A spokesman for the show said in an interview that producers had initially contacted Hatch about a project that didn't pan out. Later, Hatch called a producer about the problems he was having with Chris, whom he adopted about seven years ago. Soon after, McGraw invited the father and son on the show together.

During the show, Hatch said Chris' mother was a prostitute and that her johns molested him. Chris remains emotionally troubled by his past, Hatch said.

"I made the decision to tape his telephone conversations to protect him from making choices that would be really dangerous," he said.

Hatch told McGraw that after listening to the explicit conversations caught on tape, "I was mortified, even though I'm openly gay."

Hatch said one of the reasons he went on the therapy talk show was because of his son's continued interest in Resch.

"He writes about how much he loves him and misses him. And he took a knife and carved this guy's initials into his arm," Hatch said. He said his son wants to move in with the man.

Hatch told McGraw he had strained relations with Chris. In May 2000, the Middletown police charged Hatch with abusing his son during an early-morning run, by pulling him by the ear and neck when the boy got tired and stopped running. The Department of Children, Youth and Families removed Chris and placed him in foster care. A judge later ordered Chris returned to Hatch.