Boy, 8, arrested on sex charge

Thursday, March 10, 2005 | 9:37 a.m.

An 8-year-old boy with a history of mental problems was arrested and booked into the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center on Wednesday, facing 10 counts of sexual assault for allegedly molesting his younger sibling, officials said.

The youth is the first 8-year-old to be arrested and booked into the detention center in Clark County in 30 years, said Kirby Burgess, director of the Juvenile Justice Services Department.

Under Nevada law, authorities can arrest any juvenile aged 8-years-old or older and hold the youth at any appropriate holding facility, he said.

By 6 p.m., authorities were transferring the youth to Desert Willow Treatment Center, a local 77-bed psychiatric facility for juveniles with behavioral and psychological problems.

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