Chester Stiles
Mugshot of Stiles after his capture in 2007
Born (1970-09-14) September 14, 1970
Louisville, Kentucky
Other names"Chet"
Criminal statusIncarcerated at Ely State Prison
Conviction(s)
Criminal penalty21 life sentences with the de jure possibility of parole after 140 years[lower-alpha 1]

Chester "Chet" Arthur Stiles (born September 14, 1970, in Louisville, Kentucky[1]) is an American criminal who gained notoriety after he appeared in video clips of himself raping and sexually abusing a girl who was three years old at the time. The video was made in 2003 but was discovered under a fallen sign in 2007 in Pahrump, Nevada.[2] Both the FBI and the Las Vegas Police launched a nationwide manhunt which led to his capture.[3] Police released the video to the media, and the child's mother recognized her daughter; Stiles was living with them at the time the video was recorded.[2] He was caught in Henderson, Nevada, and appeared in court on October 17, 2007.[2][4] Further investigation showed Stiles had abused another young girl while living with her family.[2]

On May 29, 2009, Stiles was sentenced to 21 life sentences on 21 counts with the possibility of parole in 140 years.[5] The judge said that he showed no remorse in the hearing; Stiles responded to the sentence with the claim that his prosecution "shows a child's virtue is more important than a man's life." He continued, "I incurred 21 life sentences for a non-violent act ... I wish the truth was more important."[6] As of 2015 his sentence was one of the world's longest.[7]

Once he got to the Nevada Department of Corrections, he was classified (Offender ID Number: 1036868) and placed in protective custody for his own safety from the prison's general population inmates.

Notes

  1. ↑ Stiles will never be eligible for parole within his lifetime, as it is guaranteed he will be dead by his earliest release date.

References

  1. ↑ 10/4/07: Subject Of Nationwide Manhunt Has Local Ties - Louisville News Story - WLKY Louisville Archived 2011-05-24 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Nevada Independent - Your State. Your News. Your Voice". thenevadaindependent.com. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  3. ↑ Child Rape Suspect: Violent "Survivalist", Police Call Man Suspected Of Raping Girl On Tape As "Very Dangerous"; Hunt Continues - CBS News
  4. ↑ Toddler rape suspect shuffles into court in chains - CNN.com
  5. ↑ "Vegas Child Rapist Gets 140-Year Sentence Archived May 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine," Fox 5 News (29 May 2009).
  6. ↑ Cara McCoy, "Child molester gets multiple life sentences," Las Vegas Sun (29 May 2009).
  7. ↑ Concepcion, Mackenzie (26 August 2015). "Who is serving the world's longest prison sentences?". azcentral. Retrieved 2020-06-20.


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