Sub teacher, UNLV student arrested on child porn charges

By Mary Manning (contact)

Published Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 | 5:15 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008 | 5:47 p.m.

A Las Vegas man who has been working as a substitute teacher at a Las Vegas charter school and is a student at UNLV has been arrested on federal charges of possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Greg Brower of Nevada said 26-year-old Nahm Thai was arrested in Las Vegas on Monday and is charged with two counts of transporting child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

"Combating the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes is a priority of this office," Brower said. "If you use the Internet to participate in this type of crime, you will be prosecuted."

According to a criminal complaint, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents in Seattle, Wash., began an investigation involving the distribution of child pornography on the Internet, specifically using Google's "Hello" program in March 2007. The agents discovered that between January 2007 and January 2008 Thai and a Virginia resident had been communicating online regarding the receipt and distribution of child pornography images.

The agents found that they two had exchanged over 4,800 pictures, most of which contained child pornography.

ICE agents executed a search warrant at Thai's Las Vegas residence on Oct. 30 and seized computers and equipment containing several hundred images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

According to the defendant's parents who were present during the search, Thai currently works as a substitute teacher. He is also a senior majoring in education at UNLV. A spokeswoman for the Clark County School District said Thursday that early media reports that Thai was a substitute teacher for the district are incorrect. The spokeswoman said Thai is a student teacher at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a charter school. Charter schools handle their own hiring and aren't staffed by district employees.

If convicted, Thai faces five to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the transportation and receipt of child pornography counts, and up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of child pornography count.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.

"People who download and possess child pornography put our youth at risk," said Richard Curry, assistant special agent in charge for the ICE Office of Investigations in Las Vegas. "This case is particularly troubling because of the suspect's position as someone young people look up to and respect. Those who think they can engage in these kinds of activities and escape justice by hiding in cyberspace should be forewarned that ICE is using every tool at its disposal to protect our children from those who seek to sexually exploit them."

ICE's involvement in this case is part of the ongoing initiative known as Operation Predator, targeting those who prey upon and sexually exploit children nationwide.