Child Rape Suspect: Violent "Survivalist"

Police Call Man Suspected Of Raping Girl On Tape As "Very Dangerous"; Hunt Continues

(CBS/AP)  U.S. investigators interviewed people with connections to a fugitive accused of videotaping himself raping a little girl, and said they hoped to find a suspect they described as a violent survivalist who always carried a weapon.

The FBI and Las Vegas police pressed a nationwide manhunt for Chester "Chet" Arthur Stiles, 37, who authorities said molested a 3-year-old girl in a mysterious video that was recorded four years ago and surfaced last month.

"He's a survivalist type who isn't bothered by living without electricity or water, and always carries a fighting-type knife," said Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett.

Hundreds of "very fruitful" leads poured in Monday from across the country, said police Capt. Vincent Cannito, head of the department's youth and family crimes unit.

"He does have a very violent past," Cannito said, "and he has a history of narcotics usage, so we do consider him to be a very dangerous individual."

"I believe that Chester Arthur Stiles has some additional information that he can provide, some light on maybe other activity that has taken place, and maybe in this jurisdiction, Clark County, and other states as well," Nye County, Nevada Sheriff Tony DeMeo told The Early Show Monday. "I believe that he's a link to a very dark side of our society, so I want him, I want him alive."

Stiles has a long criminal record, including charges for assault and battery, resisting arrest, contempt of court, and grand larceny, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

Las Vegas police said Stiles had a string of arrests dating to 1999 on several charges, including assault, battery, resisting a police officer, auto theft, leaving the scene of an accident and contempt of court.

He was convicted in 1999 in Las Vegas of carrying a concealed weapon, and in 2001 of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, according to court records. Stiles also pleaded no contest in Houston, Texas, in 1993 to unlawful carrying of a weapon.

The video came to light last month after a man claimed to have found the tape in the desert. But authorities said the man, Darrin Tuck, 26, had it for as long as five months and showed it to others before turning it in.

Authorities last week took the unusual step of releasing images from the tape and identifying Stiles in an attempt to establish the identity of the victim. With help from the media and the public, sheriff's deputies found the girl, now 7, safe in Las Vegas, where they said the video was made.

The Associated Press is no longer identifying or releasing photos of the girl because she is a suspected victim of sexual abuse. It did so earlier in the interest of her safe recovery.

Authorities also were seeking Stiles on an unrelated warrant issued last year charging him with fleeing to avoid prosecution on allegations he groped a 6-year-old girl in 2003.

The district attorney said Stiles vowed in the past not to be taken alive by police.

Beckett said Stiles has claimed to be a former Navy SEAL and a black belt in karate, and claimed to own several guns, including a rifle, shotgun and pistol. But the district attorney said he could not confirm any of that.

A spokesman for illusionists Siegfried & Roy said Stiles worked as part of an animal training team for the show for a few months in 2002 at the Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas.

"He helped taking care of the animals, and he was let go when he didn't show up to work one day," spokesman Dave Kirvin said, adding that Stiles left little impression on the dozens of other animal trainers.

As for whether he served in the Navy, records suggest he lived in 1989 at a Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida. But the Navy and a clerk at a military locator office in St. Louis, Missouri, could not immediately confirm he was in the military.

Tina Allen, a former girlfriend, told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday that she initially trusted Stiles around children, including her own grandson. "I know him to be very violent, and he's not going down without a fight," Allen said.

Allen told CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday night that she worried Stiles might emerge from hiding to harm her, and said she would seek the protection of Las Vegas police on Tuesday.

[outofline3]

Chester the Molester. I can''t believe I''m the first one to say it.

[Krazcarl]

Kansas1946. Wasn''t accusing you of it thought you asked a question didn''t mean to offend enjoy your post but stand by mine,

[kansas1946]

Kasas 1946 there trying to turn a hirrible crime into a joke about political party and is in very poor taste. There is a horrible deviant out there that victumizs chilren for I don''''t care what party he belongs to he should still meet the hand of vengence.


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Posted by crzmeat at 07:20 PM : Oct 02, 2007
+ report abuse

According to records in Nevada he listed himself as a Democrat in 1996.


I figured he would be a liberal (or do you child-molesters prefer progressive now?) given how all of them are homosexual child rapists.
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Posted by darkmeat4 at 10:02 AM : Oct 02, 2007
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Hey, crz, I am not the one who brought up policics. I was responding to darmeat. I agree, this is a non political issue, you need to re-read my post. I am sick of politics being brought into any situation to score points. We are all Americans and as such should be horrified by such a crime.

[melissacop]

This woman never brought this man home, her boyfriends mother did, and her boyfriends mother was babysitting while she was at work.

[facts6]

Mothers of young children need to get a grip. Remember that woman who was dating Scott Peterson? She asked him to pickup her toddler daughter from daycare. Must a segment of women who live in a dreamworld: what he can do isn''t worth your kid.

[Krazcarl]

Kasas 1946 there trying to turn a hirrible crime into a joke about political party and is in very poor taste. There is a horrible deviant out there that victumizs chilren for I don''t care what party he belongs to he should still meet the hand of vengence.

[kansas1946]

According to records in Nevada he listed himself as a Democrat in 1996.


I figured he would be a liberal (or do you child-molesters prefer progressive now?) given how all of them are homosexual child rapists.
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Posted by darkmeat4 at 10:02 AM : Oct 02, 2007
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LOL. Actually, this guy sounds about as far-right and you can get. A gun-toting survivalist, but only a right-winger would bring political party into this, or suggest that liberals would condone child abuse. You think all of those Catholic priests were liberals? This is pathetic that Americans can not even talk about one of their children being harmed without spitting at each other about politics. This was an American child, and it is an American POS that hurt her.

[mayjohn]

Yeah I agree the death penalty should be a given in every state. Why should the hard working people of this country have to pay for these scum bags to be locked up for decades at a time? It costs about what, 75 dollars A DAY to keep someone locked up! It is bad enough we have to watch the goverment waste away our money. I worked on a military installation for 4 yrs, I had always heard that the goverment spends alot of money but I promise you all if everyone out there that works their butts off 40 hrs + a week saw first hand how much money the goverment LITERALLY threw away into dumpsters and just wasted like a little kid who got an itch for something and then when they got it decided they didn''t like it, maybe then more americans would DEMAND action. But until some of these things are brought to light in the american public, like 3,000 dollar marble caps for pillars along a highway that were thrown into a concrete dump on this installation because they decided that they didn''t like the way they looked once the company had specially made them and delivered them. I mean COME ON would you do that if it was out your own pocket?? HECK NO!! But who cares its only us taxpayers paying for it.

[mayjohn]

Yeah I agree the death penalty should be a given in every state. Why should the hard working people of this country have to pay for these scum bags to be locked up for decades at a time? It costs about what, 75 dollars A DAY to keep someone locked up! It is bad enough we have to watch the goverment waste away our money. I worked on a military installation for 4 yrs, I had always heard that the goverment spends alot of money but I promise you all if everyone out there that works their butts off 40 hrs + a week saw first hand how much money the goverment LITERALLY threw away into dumpsters and just wasted like a little kid who got an itch for something and then when they got it decided they didn''t like it, maybe then more americans would DEMAND action. But until some of these things are brought to light in the american public, like 3,000 dollar marble caps for pillars along a highway that were thrown into a concrete dump on this installation because they decided that they didn''t like the way they looked once the company had specially made them and delivered them. I mean COME ON would you do that if it was out your own pocket?? HECK NO!! But who cares its only us taxpayers paying for it.

[linfinster]

Pam1, I agree with you so much. Women need to knock off this whole bringing home men when they have children. So many children are ruined and killed because of this. Mothers, act like mothers and protect your children!
"A CHILDHOOD, IT''''S A TERRIBLE THING TO LOSE." - my new slogan for my campaign I am starting to wake women up and make CHILDREN a top priority in this country. I''ve been sick of it for a long time, and this guy just sent me over the top.

Posted by GMK5 at 04:37 PM

I also believe single mothers need to stop being so desperate and think about their child/ren.
It CAN be done! I dedicated my single life to the raising of my son by myself, he is now out on his own, and on a good road so far.. I wont say he is guaranteed to be successful, but what a better start then most of his friends, if not all of them. (I was thought of as very unusual for my decision.)
So don''t go and get all righteous and full of entitlement LADIES, it''s time to grow up! It''s never going to be about you when you have a child.
Now it''s MY time!!! :)