Home Subscribe Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

News
Oct. 18, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Suspect downcast in court

Stiles declines reading of charges

By DAVID KIHARA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

A shackled Chester Arthur Stiles stands beside his attorney, public defender Jeff Banks, on Wednesday in Clark County Justice Court. Stiles, accused in the sexual assault and videotaping of a 2-year-old girl, was making his initial court appearance in the case.
Photo by Clint Karlsen.



A digital billboard along Interstate 15 near Mandalay Bay heralds the capture of Chester Arthur Stiles and quotes what he told police.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.

Chester Arthur Stiles shuffled into a Clark County courtroom Wednesday looking like a broken man.

The shackled 37-year-old stood before Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis with his shoulders slumped forward and his head bowed. He never looked up, and his long, unkempt hair covered much of his face. Shackles bound his wrists to his waist, and he was wearing the standard-issue navy blue jail jumpsuit.

"No, ma'am," Stiles replied in a low voice after Lippis asked him whether he could afford an attorney.

During the hearing, Stiles waived the reading of the 23 counts he faces, and Lippis set his next court date for Nov. 19. He didn't enter a plea, and the issue of bail wasn't addressed.

Most Popular Stories
  • MOUNT CHARLESTON: Four die in plane crash
  • Two couples died in crash
  • NORM: Steve Wynn goes for mega-yacht
  • FAMILY SERVICES: Three visits preceded boy's death
  • NORM: Kirshner works on big Vegas project
  • NORM: Curtain falling on Stage Deli
  • NORM: Playboy models in state spotlight
  • Body of diver who jumped off 90-foot Lake Mead cliff found
  • NORM: Elvis fan club will have star its way
  • ROAD WARRIOR Q&A: Gasoline price changes out of control



    • About five bailiffs were in the courtroom with Stiles as he stood before Lippis during the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

    Court administrators decided to beef up security in the courtroom after they learned there were threats made against Stiles, said Chuck Short, executive officer for the courts.

    "We took the action we needed to protect him and others," Short said.

    Besides additional security inside the courtroom, law enforcement officers used hand-held metal detectors to check people entering the courtroom through the public entrance.

    After the hearing, Stiles' court-appointed lawyer, Jeff Banks, told reporters that the former animal trainer for Siegfried & Roy was "a little down in the mouth."

    "Certainly he's unhappy about the situation he's in," said the public defender, speaking in front of the Regional Justice Center while surrounded by local and national media.

    Banks added that he only spoke to Stiles about procedural issues. They didn't talk about the crimes Stiles is being accused of, or where Stiles was hiding while authorities were looking for him, he said.

    "I haven't had an intelligent discussion with my client about the facts of the case," he said. "I haven't had an intelligent conversation with anybody, including you folks (the media), about the facts of the case."

    According to the criminal complaint, Stiles is facing 20 felony charges related to the sexual assault and videotaping of a 2-year-old girl in Las Vegas several years ago. He also faces three felony charges alleging he molested a 6-year-old girl in Las Vegas in 2003.

    A federal grand jury also indicted Stiles on charges of producing child pornography, according to the indictment that was unsealed Tuesday.

    Stiles will likely face the state charges first, authorities said.

    Stiles was the subject of a nationwide manhunt after Nye County authorities three weeks ago released images from a video allegedly showing Stiles sexually assaulting the 2-year-old.

    That girl, who is now 7, was found safe in Las Vegas on Sept. 28. She is healthy and doesn't have any memory of the incident, said Jerry Donohue, a local attorney representing the girl's mother.

    Henderson police arrested Stiles on Monday night on Green Valley Parkway and Sunset Road because the Buick Century he was driving didn't have license plates. Police didn't immediately recognize Stiles. But after further questioning, Stiles admitted who he was.

    Stiles was booked into the county jail on Monday night and has remained there since. He is in an isolated cell and is confined there 23 hours a day, Banks said.

    "I know isolation is a tough gig," he said.

    Banks added he was still worried about Stiles' safety inside the jail.

    "He's caught a lot of heat in the media, and guys in the jail watch television just like a lot of folks," he said. "It's a very prejudicial charge, so of course I'm concerned about his safety."

    Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-4638.



    Leave Your Comment 20 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Perry wrote on October 18, 2007 07:18 PM: ah, the poor pookie bear...

    He was downcast in court...If I knew EXACTLY what was going to happen to me for the rest of my 'short' life, I'd be downcast too.

    I hear men in prison will put up with anything...that doesnt involve small children....


    Ricky Bobby wrote on October 18, 2007 05:57 PM: Herbie we all know the best part of you ran down your mommas crack, so don't go thinking anything. You might ending up hurting yourself. No one could possibly think any less of you cintron.


    Ricky Bobby wrote on October 18, 2007 05:51 PM: Rape; Steve not what your Uncle did to you on those fishing trips. That was a family tradition what happened to you. Put your big boy pants on and join in anytime you feel you can keep up.

    Just because your mommy and daddy were identical twin brother and sister, and had sex within the same family does not make you an expert, or Royalty.


    Herb wrote on October 18, 2007 05:43 PM: My guess is that Ricky Bobby is a troll just trying to stir things up. I don't think there is anybody in the real world who is defensive of Stiles, except for his tax funded lawyer.


    Steve wrote on October 18, 2007 05:31 PM: Ricky Bobby,

    Where did you get the idiotic idea that molestation requires penetration? Are you really that stupid or are you just trying to get people to think you are. Actually, it would be really difficult for someone to lack as much intelligence as you appear to in your posts.


    Herb wrote on October 18, 2007 04:27 PM: The sad thing is he wouldn't have been able to molest these children if he was still in prison serving time for his other crimes. As is too often the case, a judge with a criminal fetish set him loose out on the streets. Let's hope he doesn't get out this time.


    j wrote on October 18, 2007 04:19 PM: Hopefully, this guy will go away for a long time, if he did these crimes. It would be a horrible miscarriage of justice if he ends up with like six months or less time.

    Even worse, I hope that the system does not "re-victimize" the victim in this case.


    Ricky Bobby wrote on October 18, 2007 01:10 PM: I think if they have actual penetration on tape, they wouldn't need all of these other charges. 22 life convictions, if convicted, get real. Hey, what if he is Innocent, the victim don't remember, and the mother never noticed.

    Get your torches lit, git a rope, and head for the jailhouse, you idiot's.


    Bid Don wrote on October 18, 2007 01:07 PM: Smiles, Tonya or whoever you are today, did you see penetration in that video?


    smiles wrote on October 18, 2007 12:33 PM: Ricky Bobby why would you defend a child molester, oh unless you are one. The evidence is in the video did you not see the pictures they posted all over the tv from the video, it was Stiles and anyone who defends him is a big fat loser


    Read All Comments