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twitterChild molester gets multiple life sentences
In a statement, Chester Stiles critical of law enforcement and his defense attorneys
Justin M. Bowen
Convicted child molester Chester A. Stiles talks to one of his attorneys May 29 just before he was sentenced to life in prison on 21 of 22 charges.
Published Friday, May 29, 2009 | 10:59 a.m.
Updated Friday, May 29, 2009 | 1:54 p.m.
Sun archives
- Jury finds Stiles guilty on all 22 counts (3-3-09)
- Jury begins deliberations in Stiles molestation case (3-2-09)
- Jurors watch graphic tape in toddler sex case (2-27-09)
- Ex-girlfriend says she saw Stiles in girl’s bedroom (2-26-09)
- Man describes videotape that prompted search for Stiles (2-25-09)
- Girl’s parents testify in trial of accused rapist (2-24-09)
- Girl, 11, testifies in trial of accused rapist (2-23-09)
- Jurors in child sex case to hear opening statements Monday (2-20-09)
- Jury selected in child video sex case (2-19-09)
- Trial begins in Las Vegas toddler video sex case (2-18-09)
Convicted child molester Chester A. Stiles will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Stiles was sentenced to life in prison on 21 of 22 charges Friday after being convicted in March on 22 counts of lewdness and sexual assault with two little girls.
He will be eligible for parole in 140 years.
Stiles was convicted March 3 on 10 counts of lewdness with a child under the age of 14, 11 counts of sexual assault with a minor under 14, and one count of attempted sexual assault with a minor under 14 for sexually molesting two girls, ages 2 and 6, in 2003.
He received an additional eight to 20 years on the attempted sexual assault conviction. Stiles' attorneys said they are planning an appeal.
Wearing a Clark County Detention Center shirt, blue pants, and bright orange socks and sandals, Stiles read a prepared statement. He criticized law enforcement, the prosecution and his defense, slamming his lawyers because "the truth was not considered as a viable defense strategy."
He also criticized Nevada statutes that, he said, punish child abusers more harshly than murderers.
"I was convicted on 10 counts of lewdness with a minor, which carries 10 (years) to life, and 11 counts of sexual assault, which carries 20 to life. Twenty-one life sentences for a 12-minute videotape.
"I say this for my family, my son and the people who care about me -- a 12-minute videotape that shows no use of force. No drugs, no violence or brutality. There are no tears, no threats, no blood. Indeed, a doctor could not find evidence of molestation and the child did not remember any event. Yet I'm to die in prison. So legislation dictates that a child's virtue has more value than life itself.
"We see murderers getting a 10-year sentence in this town, while I incurred 21 life sentences for a non-violent act."
Before District Court Judge Jennifer P. Togliatti handed down the sentence, Deputy District Attorney Mary Kay Holthus argued that the life sentences should be served consecutively.
"To me, what he has done -- what he has put this family through, these children through, and quite frankly, all of society through -- he should spend every year, every month, every week, every hour of every day that this court can give him behind bars,” she said. “And we should never have to worry if Mr. Stiles will get out and molest another child."
Holthus said that although Stiles had mentioned incidents of rape and sexual abuse in his own childhood, that fact shouldn't warrant sympathy.
"You know how bad it made you feel -- why do you go on and do it? Why do you victimize other kids?” she said. “I don't get how you come from that and end up being there."
She read a letter in court from the mother of the youngest victim. The girl's family was in the courtroom.
"My family has suffered greatly for the crime that has happened. Sleepless nights, worries, stress nightmares. I worry every day that she will remember what happened, and how that will affect her everyday life," Holthus said while reading the woman’s letter. "This man has hurt my family so much, there are no words for it."
Stiles videotaped himself molesting the toddler, who has no memory of what happened. That videotape was played for the jury during Stiles' trial. Her case prompted a national manhunt after the tape was found in the desert in 2007 and police released images to identify the man and the child.
"Not only did he molest that 2-year-old, but he had to record it and memorialize it for all time. So it's never going away -- it will always exist and it isn't something we can just imagine. It's something that those of us who've had to see it, that we'll never unseen," Holthus said.
The other girl, now a young teenager, wasn't videotaped and testified about the assault during the trial. She was not present Friday during sentencing.
Nineteen of the charges stemmed from acts on the tape. Three stemmed from the separate assault of the 6-year-old. The cases were tried together.
Stiles also faces federal charges of producing child pornography, which could carry a sentence of 15 to 30 years in federal prison. His federal trial was scheduled to begin earlier this month but was postponed until August.
Stacey Roundtree, one of Stiles' public defenders, said the federal charges could be dropped in light of the sentences he received today. She said Stiles’ history of sexual abuse should be a factor in his sentencing.
"Punishing him as you would punish a serial killer is not appropriate in this case," she said. "Mr. Stiles was in fact a victim of sexual abuse. It is a fact and it is a factor in this case. It isn't anything that by any means Mr. Stiles wants the court to say is an excuse for a crime, but it is a mitigating circumstance that this court should consider."
Before handing down the sentence, Togliatti called Stiles a "rationalizer and a self-pitier."
Stiles has been in custody since he was arrested during a routine traffic stop in Henderson in October 2007.
"He should spend every minute of every day behind bars so society will never have to worry about him getting out and molesting another child," Holthus said.
Discussion: 21 comments so far…
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Let's hope the inmates take care of this sad excuse for a human being!! I don't want any of our hard working American tax dollars feeding and housing this sicko for the rest of his life. The sooner he gets to hell the better!!!!
What a waste of the planet's air.
Glad to see him put away forever.
Clark county is impressive when it comes to convictions, isn't it? First you squeezed the Juice and now you slapped down the baby raper.
You have my respect and admiration.
Do him the cajun way,take him out and chain him in the swamp today,retrieve your chain tomarrow.
I know it's a little off-topic, but I am very curious.
There are some Las Vegas Metro Police officers who've been caught with "girls under the age of 14" over the last few years. Any updates on their court cases?
Today is a day of celebration! A monster will stay behind bars for the rest of his unholy life...Thank God!
what truth as a defense was he talking about? was he really trying to base his defense that the little girl didn't remember anything?
HE WAS ON VIDEO ...wtf
This report makes me sick, all he talks about is how unjust his punishment is. How about some remorse for your actions? No one is going to feel sorry for you Chester. Have fun getting your just deserts in prison.
Chester is real your name? Seriously?
Every child molester and rapist should either serve life or be executed.
I'm sure he'll make a lovely bride to some lucky inmate.
In cases like this, where there is video evidence and admission of guilt - the guy should be taken out back and immediately executed. A 49c bullet is even too much to spend on this trash, let alone thousands a year to keep in jail.
Goodbye Chester the molestor
Ds_Gentle_Master -- excellent point!
What the rest of you posted reads like what one can hear from any cow pasture.
Chester will now go to Lovelock State Prison, where he will be protected from the garden variety criminals who would like nothing more than to end his appeals in the most efficient manner possible. All things considered, it sounds like he got a better deal than he deserves.
The idea of killing Stiles is equal in repugnance to the crimes Stiles perpetrated. He needs to be locked away and that goal has been achieved. How was it that these children were allowed to be around him?
Stiles was precisely correct: the wanton and vicious murdering of a 10-year-old is not that bad compared to sexual contact with a 10-year-old. These grossly disproportionate values reflect the deep ignorance within American society.
ssenjo -- amen!
It is strange and pretty ridiculous that he would get 140 years for an act that while immeasurably repugnant, is not at the level of a murder - or many other crimes. This really doesn't make any sense. The victims were probably traumatized more by the state forcing them to remember it.
These sentences confuse me anyway. You aren't even the same person even 5 years in the future. It's like punishing a different person. If you've done anything that truly warrants over 5 years locked away, then it should be instant death penalty anyway. These types of crimes always get these ridiculous sentences though. Tax evasion is another one where they hand out stellar stupid sentences.
Obviously, this guy is damaged in the nugget and needs some SERIOUS help. Why were these kids allowed to be around him anyway? Where is the culpability there?
Too bad for him he's not a politician's son.
"There are some Las Vegas Metro Police officers who've been caught with "girls under the age of 14" over the last few years. Any updates on their court cases?"
What? I've never heard of this before. Where is this information coming from?
What do you think the nasty fella from Boulder City is thinkin' right about now?
140 years?
I'm not educated in the law, but on the surface it looks like this will cost us money in a viable and reasonable appeal.
Couldn't they have just gave him 40 years? He looks about half dead already. Why can't life sentences just be *Life sentences*.
Once again, I'm working on a basic understanding of law here.
Stiles stated that legislation dictates that a childs virtue has more value than life itself because he is to die in prison. Well yes a childs virtue is more valuable than the life of a creep who kills a childs inocense. He is getting exactly what he deserves! There is no help for a child molester. Him being locked up protects the future victims he would of had.
Stiles seems bitter that his twelve minute tape will make him die in prison; if they put a molester like Chester the Molester into the general prison population, I would imagine that the twelve minutes it would take him to die would indeed last a lifetime. That he doesn't appreciate the enormity of his crime is mind-boggling to me.
electrophilicity -- good questions. As for your understanding of the law, don't let the sophists fool you. Courts and their parasites have worked hard to obscure law and surround it with mysterious terminology and stupid rules, but the law is still made by ordinary people for ordinary people -- except for the officers of the courts who have infiltrated the lawmaking and law enforcing parts of government.
cathymitz -- some other posts here had excellent points, like why does he get a stiffer sentence than murderers. Your "childs virtue" has no foundation, since the "victim" remembered nothing and apparently has no extraordinary psychological issues. Last I heard she's refreshing free of moral issues also.
bullmoose556 -- you saw the tape??