Updated: 10/16/2007 - Stiles has been apprehended in Nevada, and turned over to the Las Vegas police. Read about it here.

Note: This was originally posted as part of the Blogging for a Cause initiative on September 27, 2007. Since that post, a lot has happened with the investigation involving a sexually exploited (raped) Nevada toddler pictured in a videotape. Following is information on the case, links, and updates as they become available.

There is a movement among the bloggers today - it’s called Stop the Abuse. A day when the blogging world unites to make a stand against abuse - of all types. So as I was preparing my post, I was undecided as to which type of abuse was my passion for the day.

[Update: picture removed] Then, as I was watching the morning news, a little girl’s face was plastered across the screen. An unknown little girl - only 4 or 5 3 years old - who is being sexually abused by an adult. The picture on the screen was a stillshot captured from an explicit video of that adult molesting that little girl.

A man, Tuck, claims to have found the video out in the desert 5 months ago, and had had it in his possession - showing it to his friends (wtf??). Tuck was arrested earlier last week on charges of promoting child pornography, and is not considered a suspect at this time. (Update: It has been reported that Tuck failed a polygraph as it related to questioning about a child pornography ring. Sick bastard.)

From America’s Most Wanted:

“Authorities also have new information about the 4 to 5-year old girl at the center of the investigation. Police say that the video was made between 2003 and 2004 due to the make of the television and electronic equipment seen on the tape. They also say that the lingerie the girl is wearing was manufactured in the spring of 2003 by a company in North Carolina.”

The suspect’s face was clear enough in the video to be identifiable. New Enhanced pictures have been released by the Nye County Sheriff’s office. Do you recognize any of these people?

You can follow and find more information about this case through these links: Crimelibrary.com and through America’s Most Wanted.

The Nye County Sheriff’s Alert on this young girl can be found here (PDF format): [update: link removed to protect the identity of the minor child.] If you know something, don’t be a coward. Step forward and save a life.

Stop the Abuse!

← ♣ UPDATES ♣ →

Update - 10/13/2007:

The Nevada CrimeBusters have upped the ante with a reward of $20,000 for information leading to the apprehension of Stiles. Surely someone out there has seen him, and has a conscience. Listen to it. Act on it. You can help prevent this kind of unspeakable crime from happening to another minor child.

Update - 10/6/2007:

At the time of posting this update, there have not been any breaks in the case. While interviews with those associated continue to elicit additional insight, at this point there seems to be a lot of speculation and a small amount of fact. Attention-seeking folks are basking in their 15-minutes of fame/shame and - realizing that, down the road, they may be implicated in some fashion - are hiring legal counsel and carefully choosing what they say.

The curious are asking themselves and community a lot of questions: how could this have happened? How could it have been prevented? Who else is involved? While they all warrant a response - and will more than likely be answered in time - the focal point should now be the safety and welfare of the affected child and the continued, aggressive search for Stiles and any other accomplices in this case.

I will continue to update as factual information is released. Speculations and profiles of the suspect are irrelevant, and you can find plenty of this type of information all over the newswires. I don’t care what happened to him as a juvenile. I do care about what this suspect did to an absolutely innocent child, and I want to see him receive the most severe punishment allowable for this crime.

Stay tuned.

Update - 10/4/2007:

The nationwide manhunt for Stiles continues. Additional insight was obtained through interviews with Stiles’ ex-girlfriend, Tina Allen, and Stiles’ former roommate, Matthew Stafford. From America’s Most Wanted:

Among the leads gained from the interviews:
Stafford says that Stiles may be armed and dangerous and will not go down without a fight. He also claims that while Stiles may be cunning and manipulative, he’s not smart enough to outfox authorities forever. Allen gave valuable clues to aid in the hunt for her former flame. When Stiles visited her early last month, she said his appearance had changed dramatically: his hair was much longer, his mustache was gone, and he had gained weight. Allen also told AMW that Stiles may have a travelling companion — a pregnant bullmastiff that goes by the name ‘Serenity’.

Update - 10/1/2007:

Stiles’ former girlfriend told CNN she believes she put him in contact with the girl. Tina Allen said she is “disgusted” and “mortified” at her role in bringing them together … Allen ended her relationship with Stiles a few months ago. She said she believes it will be difficult for police to find him.

“He will hide out in mountains if that’s what it takes, he will hide out in a crowd, he’ll find somebody who hasn’t heard anything and stay there,” she said. “He has skills. He knows how to hunt, I mean hunt with a gun, a knife, a bow.”

Allen said Stiles stopped by her house last week for a friendly visit before his name was linked to the videotape. She said his appearance had changed. She said his hair was longer and he had put on weight.

Update - 9/30/2007: It has been reported that Tuck turned himself in. From America’s Most Wanted:

After evading arrest for two days, authorities say that 26-year-old Darrin Tuck has turned himself in to Nye County, Nev. authorities. Tuck went on the run just after he sat down with AMW for an exclusive interview about his involvement in the case involving Chester Stiles and the videotaped sexual assault of an underage girl. Nye County authorities claim that Tuck’s options for staying on the lam had simply run out.

New information coming out includes the following reported by CNN:

Todd Allen, a Las Vegas resident, told CNN he once lived with the girl from the video and her mother. He said he recognizes his old apartment from scenes in the video. He said he knows the suspect because Allen’s mother dated Stiles and the couple spent time together at Allen’s apartment.

Allen said nobody realized the child had been abused.

“She’s what you’d expect a little girl in elementary school to be like,” he said. “You would never know something like that happened. Ever.”

Allen said he never witnessed Stiles physically assault anyone.

“But I have seen him verbally and mentally assault many people,” Allen told CNN. “He’s good with mind games. He’s good at twisting people’s realities and manipulating people.”

Update - 9/29/2007: As if this case wasn’t bizarre enough. New information coming out is that Darrin Tuck, who originally found the tape and turned it in, failed a polygraph administered last night, and is now on the run. From America’s Most Wanted:

Cops: Stiles Now A Suspect; Tuck Is On The Run

AMW Exclusive: AMW has just learned that Darren Tuck, the man who turned in a disturbing child sex tape to authorities after allegedly finding it in the desert, is now a wanted man. Cops say that Tuck has absconded from parole and is currently on the run. This information comes to AMW the day after Tuck’s defense attorney told AMW that his client failed a polygraph test. In a press conference last night, Nye County, Nev. authorities officially named Chester Arthur Stiles a suspect in the videotaped sexual assault of an underage girl, now known as Madison. Police say that 7-year-old Madison is currently safe with her family. Now, authorities in Nevada have declared a new mission: putting Chester Stiles and Darren Tuck behind bars.

Read on for important additional information on this case…

Update - 9/28/2007: I am extremely happy to report Las Vegas police have found the little girl, and she’s safe with her family. Her name is reported to be “Madison.” Nothing else about her or her family have yet to be released.

The police are seeking a man by the name of Chester “Chet” Arthur Stiles, stating he was originally a “person of interest,” but is now considered a suspect. Stiles, who is not Madison’s father, is also wanted on unrelated charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor - a 6-year old girl (enlarge the picture to read the warrant). It has been reported that Stiles was, through other friends, acquainted with the family.

Description: White Male
Height: 6′3″
Weight: 190
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Birthday: 9-14-1970
Age: 37
Wanted by LVMPD for: Sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under 14 years of age.
Approach with caution - may be armed.

If you’ve seen this man, or know anything about him or his whereabouts, please contact the LVPD or the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.

As more information becomes available, I’ll continue to post updates here. In the meantime, follow this link for the developing story: Little Girl Found Safe. I would be extremely curious to learn more information about her family. Did they know what was going on? What is the relationship, if any, to Stiles. There are too many unknowns and, while just a viewer in all of this, not all sounds kosher in this case.