Police accused of ignoring earlier Internet assault by suspects

The victim in that case, a 24-year-old University of Nevada, Reno student, said Sparks police accused her of being a liar and did nothing about her complaints until the latest incident.

"That 17-year-old girl never had to have this happen to her," she told the Daily Sparks Tribune.

Police Lt. Dave Zarubi declined comment on her case other than to say it has been submitted to the Washoe County District Attorney's Office.

Police made no mention of the earlier case in a news release issued early last week following the arrests of Timothy Mobly, 25, and Aaron Cross, 25, in the Jan. 2 sexual assault of the teen-ager.

But Deputy District Attorney Daniel Greco said Mobly and Cross also were charged late last week in the Nov. 6 incident involving the UNR student. Both were charged with first-degree kidnapping, and Mobly was charged with three counts of sexual assault.

"Obviously, we do not charge unless we believe the crime in question was committed," Greco said.

The UNR student told the Tribune that she met Mobly on the Internet, much like the 17-year-old girl did. She said she went on to date Mobly several times, but decided to break off the relationship on Nov. 6.

She said she invited Mobly over to her home on that day, and Cross accompanied him there.

"They kidnapped me at my home," she said. "I was thrown into the trunk of their car like a suitcase," then later sexually assaulted by Mobly.

But she said police did not arrest Mobly or Cross after she reported the incident. Instead, she said, police refused to believe her until after the 17-year-old girl was similarly assaulted.

Police Detective Dave Adams "told me that nobody in town believed me," she said, adding Mobly later mocked her about getting away with the rape.

Greco declined comment on the specifics of the case and its investigation.

However, he said police did not ask him to file charges on the November attack until after the January case.

In the later case, Mobly and Cross are accused of assaulting the 17-year-old while they held her prisoner at Mobly's Sparks home.

Early the next morning, the girl escaped and sought help from neighbors.

Mobly and Cross were arrested later that day at Mobly's home. Both were charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment.

Officers also found child pornography in the house, Adams said.

"I'm hoping parents read this and tell their children they are vulnerable on the Internet," he said.

The two Internet cases are the first in the Reno area where police had enough evidence to arrest suspects. Last year, a New York City man pleaded guilty to two felonies after flying to Las Vegas to engage in a sexual act with a 14-year-old boy.

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