Man gets life sentences in girl’s kidnapping, assault

By Cara McCoy

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010 | 1:58 p.m.

A man convicted on multiple felony counts tied to the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl three years ago was sentenced today to multiple life terms.

Edward Adams, 27, was convicted in November on one count of first-degree kidnapping, one count of battery with intent to commit sexual assault and seven counts of sexual assault for an incident that happened Dec. 14, 2007.

That afternoon, the girl, now 15, had plans with a friend after school. When those plans fell through, she began to walk home by herself.

At about 2:30 p.m., she encountered Adams, who was in a public area near a local junior high school.

He approached her from behind, grabbed her and said, “Don’t scream, don’t run, I have a gun,” she testified at the trial.

Adams then forced her to walk with him about a mile to an abandoned apartment near Buffalo Drive and Charleston Boulevard, where he assaulted her.

District Court Judge David Barker today sentenced Adams to a maximum of life on all of those counts, with each to run consecutively. He was sentenced to a one-year concurrent term for a single count of open and gross lewdness.

Prosecutor Craig Hendricks argued for the maximum sentence, calling Adams “one of the worst of the worst.”

“To kidnap a young child off the street is the worst thing that could possibly happen to a kid,” Hendricks said. “I guess the one good thing he did do is allowed her to leave and did not take her life.”

At trial, Adams’ defense contended the sex acts between the girl and the then-24-year-old man were consensual.

Adams didn’t speak during Wednesday’s hearing and expressed little emotion as the sentence was handed down.

His court-appointed attorney, Jeffrey Maningo, said Adams had submitted a written statement to the judge in which he expressed “regret and remorse” over what happened.

In arguments, Maningo and Hendricks both referred to Adams using methamphetamine at the time of the assault, although that wasn’t introduced at trial.

“I think methamphetamine is an absolute monster. There are daily crimes committed because of methamphetamine and it really does change a person’s character,” Maningo said.

He said Adams’ drug use wasn’t an excuse for what happened as much as it was an explanation of a possible catalyst.

Maningo asked the judge to run the terms concurrently. Had he done so, the earliest Adams could have stood before the parole board was in 10 years.

“I understand (the victim) and her family wanting all the big numbers stacked together,” he said. “But I don’t think it really achieves anything more than if you run them concurrently and allow the parole board to do their job.”

Before handing down his sentence, Barker referred to Adams’ prior felony convictions, adding that at the time of his arrest in this case he was a fugitive from parole in California.

Adams was a three-time felon at the time he victimized the young girl, Barker said.

“Mr. Adams, as a consequence of that history and the terrible things you did to this girl, you are and remain a continuing threat to this community,” Barker said.

Adams’ record didn’t include previous arrests for sexual assault, Maningo said. One of the crimes was for car theft.

In Nevada, multiple acts in a single criminal encounter can be charged separately, as they were in this case.

The only term that will run concurrently is the gross misdemeanor count of open and gross lewdness. For his felony convictions, he received a minimum of five years and a maximum of life on the kidnapping and battery charges; the sexual assault counts were a minimum of 10 and maximum of life.

The victim and her mother submitted written statements to the judge.

“On that day, for the long hour I was taken from my family, it was a horrible nightmare and all I can say is I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” the girl wrote. “I just hope you understand you have taken away a special part of my life that can’t ever be replaced.”

Her mother wrote that, “in my eyes, there is no sentence long enough.” She wrote that she didn’t believe Adams was sorry for what he had done and was critical of him for never showing emotion during any of his court appearances.

“Are you sorry? Well, all I can say is I hope today and this day forward you’re as scared as my daughter and my family was (the day of the assault).”

She thanked Adams for letting her daughter come home alive.

At trial, Adams was found not guilty on two other counts of sexual assault.

The earliest he would be eligible for parole is in 80 years.