Porn evidence in child-sex case

Friday, July 9, 2004 | 8:21 a.m.

District Judge Stewart Bell ruled on Thursday that child pornography images seized from the home computer of a 40-year-old sergeant stationed at Nellis Air Force Base can be used as evidence at his Aug. 30 trial for allegations of child molestation.

James Wheaton, who is assigned to the 99th Air Base Wing in the Civil Engineering Squadron, is charged with 10 counts of sexual assault with a minor under 14, 12 counts of lewdness with a child under the age of 14 and 13 counts of sexual assault with a minor under 16.

Wheaton is being held at Clark County Detention Center on $965,000 bail. He is to stand trial before District Judge Joseph Bonaventure.

Wheaton's arrest came after two girls allegedly told a Metro Police patrol officer Wednesday that they had been victimized since the mid-1990s. Another girl allegedly reported Wheaton touched her inappropriately earlier this year, the police report says.

One of the victims told police Wheaton began sexually assaulting her when she was 7 years old, the report notes. The police report also says he showed her and another girl, who was 4 at the time, a pornographic film.

The alleged sexual abuse occurred repeatedly over the years, the report says.

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