Fugitive arrested for videotaped rape of 3-year-old girl...

[namkcuR]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/us/17nevada.html?ref=us

Fugitive Is Arrested in Videotaped Rape of Girl

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 17, 2007

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 16 (AP) — A fugitive accused of raping a 3-year-old girl on videotape was arrested quietly during a traffic stop, telling the officer, “I’m tired of running,” the police said Tuesday.

The fugitive, Chester A. Stiles, 37, was pulled over late Monday in Henderson, Nev., for not having a license plate on his car. Mr. Stiles provided an expired driver’s license with a photograph that did not look like him and claimed to have forgotten his Social Security number before giving up, the police said.

Capt. Vincent Cannito said Mr. Stiles was wanted on warrants for 21 felony charges in connection with the acts on the videotape. The charges include lewdness with a minor, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault.

The videotape, found last month in Pahrump, Nev., had prompted an intense search for the girl who appeared in it. The police, with little to go on, had encouraged news organizations to broadcast the image of the girl.

When the girl, now 7, was found with her mother in Las Vegas, the authorities shifted their resources to finding Mr. Stiles.

The girl has been described as happy and healthy, with no memory of the 2003 encounter.

Mr. Stiles was booked at the Clark County jail. He had not yet hired a lawyer, the police said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/17/rape.tape/

Toddler rape suspect appears in court

(CNN) -- The man arrested in connection with the videotaped rape of a toddler appeared on Wednesday in a Las Vegas court.

Chester Arthur Stiles, 37, was taken into custody Monday night after a Henderson, Nevada, police officer pulled over the white Buick Century he was driving.

Stiles appeared before Judge Deborah Lippis for his initial court appearance on arrest warrants with 21 counts, including a charge of lewdness with a minor, sexual assault and the use of a child in the production of pornography, the court statement said. One of the lewdness charges stems from a 2004 incident, while the other 20 are related to the videotape, the court said.

Jerry T. Donohue, the attorney for the girl's mother, told CNN that the child on the videotape was younger than 3 when the abuse occurred.

Henderson Police Officer Mike Dye said he pulled over Stiles' car Monday night because it did not have a license plate and became suspicious when the driver gave him an expired California driver's license with a photo that did not look like him.

Dye said he and another officer, Mike Gower, questioned Stiles until he admitted his identity.

"He finally told us, 'Hey, I'm Chester Stiles. I'm the guy you're looking for,' " Dye said. "At that time, he said, 'I'm sick of running.' "

Dye said Stiles was calm and cooperative.

Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, was turned over to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and booked into the jail in Clark County, where he had been sought in connection with the videotape, which shows a girl being sexually assaulted.

The girl, who is now 7, was found last month after a nationwide search.

A former girlfriend of Stiles' said that, before the arrest, she lived in fear after going to police to identify the suspect after seeing enhanced photos from the videotape on the local news.

"I've had my share of nightmares," Elaine Thomas told CNN's Nancy Grace.

Thomas said she screamed when she recognized the photos on television and had no choice but to contact police about the man she had thought was a "weapons enthusiast" with only a minor criminal record.

"How could I not tell them who that man was? That little girl suffered unimaginable things, and I knew for a fact it was him," Thomas said.

The tape was given to authorities by Darren Tuck, who told police he had found it in the desert five months before handing it over. Because of the delay, during which Tuck allegedly showed the tape to others, he faces charges of exhibiting pornography and possession of child pornography.

He turned himself in to authorities in Nye County, Nevada, earlier this month.

Professionals have evaluated the girl in the videotape since she was found, and she appears to be "healthy and fine and happy," her mother's attorney said this month.

The mother had not known her daughter had ever been victimized and was apparently oblivious to efforts to find her until late last month, Donohue said.

"A family friend called her and said, 'My God, you need to turn on the TV. I believe that is your daughter,' " Donohue said.

Donohue said the mother recognized Stiles, a former animal trainer.

The alleged abuse most likely occurred while the mother -- a single woman working six days a week -- was at work, Donohue said.

Another former girlfriend of Stiles', Tina Allen, said this month she thinks she is the reason Stiles came in contact with the girl and is "mortified" by the allegations against him.

"He said he'd been in the Navy and, you know, I was looking for a strong guy to represent to my sons what I thought they needed to be," Allen said.

Allen said she took Stiles to a crowded apartment where her son and daughter lived.

Also living in the apartment were a family friend and her daughter, the alleged assault victim. Todd Allen, Tina Allen's son, said he recognized his old apartment from scenes in the video.

 

[Infinity]

Wow, if I had a sledge hammer, I wouldn't mind knocking this guy out.

 

[CTU2fan]

Cases like these test my sensibilities. I'm generally opposed to the death penalty for various reasons (we've about covered them all in here a time or 7), but in a case like this...my mind still says no DP, but in my heart I wouldn't mind somebody throwing the switch on a scumbag like this.

But he's going to prison, for a long time...punishment awaits, count on that.

 

[U2democrat]

Right...normally I wouldn't advocate cruel and unusual punishment but a part of me wants a certain part of him cut off. Disgusting man.


I'm confused about one bit though...the girl who was raped says she doesn't remember it. How could this be possible? How could she forget such a traumatic experience? Is she just saying she doesn't remember? I don't get it.

 

[phillyfan26]

Well, she was three years old.

I'm glad he's in the hands of the authorities, but I would never consider the DP.

 

[U2democrat]

I don't care how old she was, people remember traumatic experiences no matter how old or young.

Well if she really can't remember that's better for her I guess.

 

[corianderstem]

Or is it so traumatic that her mind has blocked it out? I think it's entirely plausible she doesn't remember it. That's not saying she won't remember it 5, 10, 15 years from now.

 

[indra]

I'm confused about one bit though...the girl who was raped says she doesn't remember it. How could this be possible? How could she forget such a traumatic experience? Is she just saying she doesn't remember? I don't get it.

I think this bit:

"the child on the videotape was younger than 3 when the abuse occurred"

has a lot to do with the not remembering. Isn't that right around the age where people will remember things for the rest of their lives? Maybe she lucked out in that regard.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Well, she was three years old.

I'm glad he's in the hands of the authorities, but I would never consider the DP.

Besides, we know what happens to child abusers in prison.

He'll get his.

 

[indra]

I don't care how old she was, people remember traumatic experiences no matter how old or young.

I don't think so. I do think there is an age before which memories just don't stick, even if they are traumatic.

 

[Liesje]

Not that it's on the same level as rape, but I was bit in the face by a German Shepherd when I was three and I have no memory of the incident and must not have any regressed fear of German Shepherds either b/c that's what I have. She probably doesn't remember it, and I'd say it would be best not to push her about it. Why try and get her to remember something like that?

 

[CTU2fan]

Not that it's on the same level as rape, but I was bit in the face by a German Shepherd when I was three and I have no memory of the incident and must not have any regressed fear of German Shepherds either b/c that's what I have. She probably doesn't remember it, and I'd say it would be best not to push her about it. Why try and get her to remember something like that?

My very earliest memories were when I was 3, 2 bee/wasp stings. I can remember that they hurt, and I can distinctly remember the 2nd one being between my toes & hopping around on 1 foot because it hurt. But that's all I've got. I can remember maybe a half-dozen or so occasions when I was 4, and about that many from when I was 5.

Basically I think it's very possible that she doesn't remember, and I think that's a very good thing. I also think it's very possible that if she were a bit older and would have been able to recall it, her mind might well have blocked it out as corianderstem mentioned; that's very common for abuse victims.

 

[cell]

im glad the man was caught.

as far as memories go, i think its different for each person. i know i remember some specifics of being in a crib and i remember some of my dreams when i was 3 years old.

 

[nathan1977]

I don't think so. I do think there is an age before which memories just don't stick, even if they are traumatic.

I don't think we as a society have yet to really explore the effect of traumatic experiences -- physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Some people who have gone through holistic practices can trace trauma back to the womb. I think we take an awful lot of these experiences and effects for granted -- or worse, normalize them.

For all we know, that's how this guy justified it in his own mind -- "who can it hurt? She won't remember it anyway."

 

[Vincent Vega]

It's not an uncommon phenomenon for people to simply not remember tragic events in their life. It's not predictable whether it will happen or the person will remember it for the rest of his/her life.

Sometimes the brain really blocks it out in a process trying to deal with what it has experienced. For example, a few months ago a murder case here in Germany was solved after 26 years, in which a mother killed her son and a girl, both were age 6 back then, witnessed how the mother strangled him. The mother discovered her, caught her and told her not to tell anyone.
After 26 years she recalled that incident again and reported to woman to the police. The details she gave were solid proof so the mother could be arrested.



I'm strictly against death penalty, but I'm indifferent with the people it happens to. I simply don't care for them.

 

[indra]

Some people who have gone through holistic practices can trace trauma back to the womb.

For all we know, that's how this guy justified it in his own mind -- "who can it hurt? She won't remember it anyway."

Then I would encourage this girl not to go through such practices.

That she doesn't remember doesn't make it right, and I'm certainly not saying it does. But maybe she got lucky and will never remember or be traumatised by it. And to me, that would be wonderful. It's good her family knows about the rape because if she does begin to experience problems they will know to get her help. But I do hope she isn't forced to "deal" with this if she doesn't have any ill effects simply because someone else thinks she must be traumatised by it.

As for her attacker -- whether his victim remembers the incident or not is immaterial.

 

[CTU2fan]

^ If I heard/read correctly she was shown the video, I assume in an attempt to, I don't know, confirm that it was her, or to see if she'd remember, or if she could identify the guy? Either way, I can't imagine showing a little girl something like that, for whatever reason.

Could be I caught that wrong though...

 

[U2democrat]

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she can't remember. I hope it doesn't come back to her in any way.

 

[corianderstem]

I don't think that the mind keeps stuff like that hidden forever, sad to say.

There's no way that poor little girl isn't going to experience the trauma sometime later in life. I hope she has loving people in her life when it does come back to her, and she can get the help and support she needs.

 

[namkcuR]

People who suffer childhood trauma and subsequent memory repression often suffer the effects of Dissociation later in life. Traumatic childhood memories that are too overwhelming too face are one of the causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder...multiple personalities. Doesn't mean everyone who has repressed memories ends up with DID, just that it's a cause of DID.

Just a thought.

 

[dazzlingamy]

what a horrible horrible thing.... at to VIDEOTAPE IT?! For fucks sake....

i feel not only for the poor little girl, but for her mother, and his other girlfriends. How disgusting would it be to find out the man you were intimate with and left around your children did something as henious as that. sickening.