February 11, 2009 4:09 PM
- Text
"Person Of Interest" In Sex Tape Search
(CBS/AP)
Nevada authorities identified a man on Friday who they want to question as they search for a young girl shown being sexually assaulted in a homemade videotape.
Chester Arthur Stiles, 34, was being called a "person of interest" in the search for a girl with haunting eyes who authorities believe was 4 or 5 years old when she was raped and sexually assaulted in the explicit video, Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said.
Stiles, whose last known address was Las Vegas, also was wanted on unrelated state and federal warrants on charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under 14 years of age, the sheriff said. He is on the FBI's fugitives list.
DeMeo also said the name of the little girl seen on the videotape is a form of "Madison," although he wouldn't give the exact spelling.
"We believe that maybe the mother may not come forward with that information. We allege, based upon what we saw in the video that, this was not the first time that this young lady, this young girl was subject to that type of abuse," DeMeo said in a news conference Friday.
The man who claimed to have found the tape in the Nevada desert could face charges himself.
Darren Tuck, 26, turned over that video to detectives back in early September. At the time, he told detectives he merely found the videotape in the desert while riding his dirt bike.
"He is driving around in the desert. He sees it. He's curious. He picks it up, takes it home, plugs it in, take a few minutes to realize it is what he feared it was - horrible acts being done on a child," attorney Harry Kuehn told Melissa Duran of CBS affiliate KLAS-TV.
Investigators have doubts about that story.
"A reasonable person doesn't hold onto this for five months," Detective David Boruchowitz said. "To me, as a human being and as a father, that is unacceptable and I don't buy it."
Kuehn says Tuck may even have helped in possibly saving the little girl's life.
"That was not his goal, because if that was his goal, he wouldn't have held onto that for five months. And until somebody provides me a reasonable explanation as to why he possibly left this girl in danger, until then, I don't buy it. Unacceptable all around," Boruchowitz told KLAS.
Tuck is being questioned by investigators.
At least he had enough of a conscience to bring the tape forward. He didn't just throw it away," Sheriff Tony DeMeo said. "In that respect, Mr. Tuck has some redeeming qualities. What we want to do now is rescue that girl."
Tuck was released without bail, pending arraignment Nov. 26 in Pahrump Justice Court, a court official said. Pahrump is a small town 60 miles west of Las Vegas.
"Right now, my understanding is he's cooperating with the district attorney's office," Boruchowitz said on The Early Show. "At the time of the investigation, he chose not to talk with us any further once he gave us his initial story."
A second, older girl seen on the tape, about 10 or 12 years old, has been identified.
"We've ensured that she is safe and that she is well. We've ensured that she did not suffer as a victim at the hands of that perpetrator, as did that little girl," Boruchowitz said Thursday on CBS News' The Early Show.
Chester Arthur Stiles, 34, was being called a "person of interest" in the search for a girl with haunting eyes who authorities believe was 4 or 5 years old when she was raped and sexually assaulted in the explicit video, Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said.
Stiles, whose last known address was Las Vegas, also was wanted on unrelated state and federal warrants on charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under 14 years of age, the sheriff said. He is on the FBI's fugitives list.
DeMeo also said the name of the little girl seen on the videotape is a form of "Madison," although he wouldn't give the exact spelling.
"We believe that maybe the mother may not come forward with that information. We allege, based upon what we saw in the video that, this was not the first time that this young lady, this young girl was subject to that type of abuse," DeMeo said in a news conference Friday.
The man who claimed to have found the tape in the Nevada desert could face charges himself.
Darren Tuck, 26, turned over that video to detectives back in early September. At the time, he told detectives he merely found the videotape in the desert while riding his dirt bike.
"He is driving around in the desert. He sees it. He's curious. He picks it up, takes it home, plugs it in, take a few minutes to realize it is what he feared it was - horrible acts being done on a child," attorney Harry Kuehn told Melissa Duran of CBS affiliate KLAS-TV.
Investigators have doubts about that story.
"A reasonable person doesn't hold onto this for five months," Detective David Boruchowitz said. "To me, as a human being and as a father, that is unacceptable and I don't buy it."
Kuehn says Tuck may even have helped in possibly saving the little girl's life.
"That was not his goal, because if that was his goal, he wouldn't have held onto that for five months. And until somebody provides me a reasonable explanation as to why he possibly left this girl in danger, until then, I don't buy it. Unacceptable all around," Boruchowitz told KLAS.
Tuck is being questioned by investigators.
At least he had enough of a conscience to bring the tape forward. He didn't just throw it away," Sheriff Tony DeMeo said. "In that respect, Mr. Tuck has some redeeming qualities. What we want to do now is rescue that girl."
Boruchowitz said investigators don't think Tuck made the tape. Tuck was arrested Sept. 19 on charges of promoting child pornography and possession of child pornography, all felonies. The top charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison.
Tuck was released without bail, pending arraignment Nov. 26 in Pahrump Justice Court, a court official said. Pahrump is a small town 60 miles west of Las Vegas.
"Right now, my understanding is he's cooperating with the district attorney's office," Boruchowitz said on The Early Show. "At the time of the investigation, he chose not to talk with us any further once he gave us his initial story."
A second, older girl seen on the tape, about 10 or 12 years old, has been identified.
"We've ensured that she is safe and that she is well. We've ensured that she did not suffer as a victim at the hands of that perpetrator, as did that little girl," Boruchowitz said Thursday on CBS News' The Early Show.
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