Teacher’s bail set at $1.3 million in sex assault case

By Jean Reid Norman

Published Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | 2:49 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | 7:54 p.m.

A Garrett Junior High School teacher will remain in jail on $1.3 million bail on child sexual assault and child pornography charges, a Boulder City judge ruled today.

Justice of the Peace Victor Miller raised Charles Richard “Rick” Rogers’ bail from $125,000 after police discovered video clips they allege show Rogers having sex with boys. The footage was among the tapes, computer disks, thumb drives and photos confiscated from Rogers’ home March 26.

In one of the clips, the victim appears to have been drunk or drugged, Police Chief Thomas Finn said.

Miller last week had bail set at $75,000 on 64 counts of possession of child pornography with the condition that Rogers remain on house arrest in Clark County but outside Boulder City. During a follow-up bail hearing today, Miller said the additional charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor and use of a minor in child pornography prompted the change.

He also set a date for a preliminary hearing of April 21. At the hearing, Miller will weigh the evidence to determine whether to send the case to District Court for trial.

Chief Deputy District Attorney James Sweetin said he expected three witnesses to testify at that hearing.

Several of the new charges carry possible life sentences, Miller said, making Rogers a flight risk in his eyes. In addition, Miller is now has a concern about the safety of the community, he said.

“There is one safety concern when the charge is possession,” he said. “It’s another when young males are involved and their lives are at risk because of the alleged acts.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney James Sweetin described scenes police found on computer media they confiscated from his home.

In one clip, Rogers is seen performing sex acts on a boy 8 to 10 years old; in another clip, he is seen performing acts on another boy between 6 and 8 years old, Sweetin said.

In another clip time-stamped Jan. 14, 2006, Rogers is seen with three boys ages 6 to 8, 8 to 10 and 10 to 12 years old. The boys perform sex acts on each other and with Rogers, Sweetin said. In all of the video, the furniture is the same as what police found in Rogers’ home, according to arrest reports.

Police are still trying to identify all of the child victims, Sweetin said. The Boulder City Police Department has enlisted the help of county, state and federal agencies in that task, Finn said.

“In my memory, I don’t recall seeing anything like this in Clark County,” said Sweetin, who had sought bail of $1 million.

Finn said the community was shocked at the allegations initially and thought maybe Rogers had been framed, but he said he has watched the videos and can vouch for what is being alleged.

“It is by far the most disturbing case of child abuse I’ve seen in my 28 years as a cop,” Finn said.

Judy Pitts, who attended the hearing, said she was among those who didn’t believe the allegations but that evidence that has come forth that has changed her mind.

“Everybody in Boulder City is shocked by this,” she said.