Las Vegan arrested on sex assault charges

Jen Lawson

Monday, Feb. 16, 2004 | 11:25 a.m.

A 59-year-old Las Vegas man who worked with children at a local church was arrested by Metro Police for allegedly sexually assaulting girls and taping the acts.

Harold Shaw of the 1300 block of Seal Beach Drive, near Jones Boulevard and Vegas Drive, was being held this morning in the Clark County Detention Center on $400,000 bail.

He was booked Thursday on three counts of sexual assault of a victim under 14, two counts each of possessing and manufacturing child pornography, and one count of lewdness with a minor.

The alleged offenses date back to December 1998, based on the date and time stamp on some of the videotapes, according to Shaw's arrest report. Detectives are reviewing "many" videotapes and more charges could be filed.

Detectives searched Shaw's house Feb. 6 and found a child's bedroom set up with a wireless camera pointed at the bed along with two digital video cameras. Shaw doesn't have children, the report says.

They collected photographs, videotapes, papers, computers and computer equipment. In the child's bedroom police found a newspaper headline clipping reading "child molester."

Detectives also found a backpack filled with candy and a Bible studies book.

The name of the church where Shaw worked was not available from Metro Police this morning.

In a taped statement, Shaw told police that he often has a young female relative and her friends over and they sometimes babysit other children at his house.

When detectives asked about the video surveillance equipment in the house Shaw first said it was to monitor the children who were being baby-sat and then he refused to answer any further questions, the report says.

Shaw admitted to using a computer program to clean his computer and told detectives they wouldn't find any child pornography on it, according to the report.

Authorities watched some of the tapes Thursday and arrested him that afternoon after watching footage of a girl appearing to be 12 or 13 being sexually assaulted by Shaw, the report says. The victim seems to be drugged or intoxicated, the report notes.

Lt. Jeff Carlson of Metro's sexual assault section said detectives haven't been able to interview any of the alleged victims yet.