Indictment returned in child molestation case

Monday, May 3, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

A Clark County grand jury returned a 107-count indictment Friday against a Henderson man charged with molesting at least four juveniles from his trailer park and videotaping the encounters.

David William Ashman, 56, was arrested in mid-March after a Metro Police informant brought in a videotape showing Ashman molesting a girl, police said. Ashman is being held in the Clark County Detention Center on $1 million bail.

The indictment charges Ashman with multiple counts of lewdness, sexual assault, use of a minor in producing pornography and possession of pornography. The charges are based on 13 videotaped incidents with four children ranging in age from 8 to 15.

Authorities allege Ashman repeatedly molested three girls over the past five years at Ashman's home in Henderson Trailer Haven at 233 S. Cholla St.

The indictment alleges Ashman began molesting one girl, now 15 years old, between September 1999 and 2002 and videotaped seven encounters with her, according to the indictment. The girl told police she was 11 or 12 at the time and that Ashman paid her.

Authorities also allege Ashman taped three encounters with the second victim, a 10-year-old girl, and took nude Polaroids of her.

The third victim is an unidentified male under the age of 14, according to the indictment. The final victim is an 8-year-old girl.