Who Is Jason Lytton? Inside the Case Featured in Hulu’s Docuseries ‘Betrayal’

Hulu’s second season of Betrayal features the true crime case of Jason Lytton. In 2021, Jason’s wife Ashley Lytton made a horrifying discovery on his computer that landed him in jail. Now that Jason’s crimes have garnered more attention, fans are curious to know more about him and what he did.

Who Is Jason Lytton?

Jason is a convicted sex offender living in Utah. In September 2021, Jason asked Ashley to create a Venmo account for him. However, when he called back a little while later saying he had changed his mind, Ashley became suspicious. She looked through his computer files and stumbled upon photos depicting child sex abuse. Some of the photos included images of Ashley’s daughter Avaya from a previous marriage.

“I got into his iCloud account and then I saw the hidden folder. I opened it. I literally didn’t believe what I was seeing,” Ashley said, per ABC News.“The hidden folder had photos in it, hundreds of inappropriate photos of children.”

After Ashley contacted the police, they discovered multiple alarming allegations against Jason. The mom of three then aided the authorities in luring Jason to a Walmart parking lot, pretending that she wanted to discuss the files on his computer. Ultimately, the investigation uncovered more than 1,500 photos of child sexual abuse material. With that much evidence, Jason was arrested immediately and charged with “multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and voyeurism.”

Ashley Lytton Attempted to Reconcile with Jason Lytton

While in jail, Jason tried to communicate with his wife and stepdaughter, Avaya, via letters and promised to fix his mistakes. However, Avaya was adamant she wanted nothing to do with her stepfather.

“Those letters and those apologies were to make him feel better,” Avaya explained. “He’s really manipulative. He is one of those kinds of people that will literally say anything to make you believe him.”

Ashley, though, allowed Jason to speak with his other daughter on the phone. When Jason was released after spending 30 days in jail, he moved in with his grandfather and reconnected with Ashley.

“I went right back into wifey mode,” Ashley recalled. “I took him all the clothes that he needed and I’d cook him dinner. Then we were studying the Bible together. It felt happy and good, and I wanted to go back to the way life was.”

Eventually, after Ashley looked at the evidence from the investigation again, she became angry and cut ties with Jason for good.

Where Is Jason Lytton in 2024?

Jason was “indicted on 10 second-degree felony charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, one third-degree felony charge of obstructing justice, and two Class A misdemeanor charges of voyeurism by concealed or disguised electronic equipment,” according to ABC 4 Utah. He was sentenced to less than a year in prison with credit for time served and only 48 months of probation. Jason was also banned from accessing the internet and he had to complete a mental health evaluation and a cognitive behavioral program.

Even though Jason did not participate in Hulu’s docuseries, it did include his statement from his 2022 sentencing.

“I’m so sorry for the pain and hurt I’ve caused my family. My heart aches, wishing there was something I could say or do to fix this. I want to say sorry to Avaya for destroying her safe place in her life,” Jason said at the time. “I failed her as a father and abused her love and trust she had in me. I want to say sorry to Ashley for the pain and suffering I’ve caused her. I flipped her whole world around and destroyed her family in the process. I also want to apologize to the kids in the pictures I looked at.”

After ten months behind bars, Jason was released and moved to Riverton, Utah, where Ashley and her children still live.