By MICHAEL MARESH
Nevada Appeal News Service
Conflicting statements have been reported about whether a sexual attack upon a 15-year-old Fallon girl occurred at a party in mid-January.
A representative of the Fallon Police Department, when asked Tuesday morning if authorities were investigating a possible rape arising out of a teenage drinking party, said they are not.
"It's not a gang rape like the television reported (last night)," said Capt. Frank Shyne of the Fallon Police Department.
Reno's KOLO 8 News reported Monday night that an alleged gang rape by of a teen girl by multiple boys was being investigated. The television station reported a very inebriated 15-year-old freshman girl had sex with four boys, three of them 17 years old and the fourth, an athlete and the son of a prominent family with ties to the legal community,18.
Kevin Pasquale, the attorney representing the mother of the girl in a civil suit, said he has interviewed several witnesses and needs to talk with several others. The witnesses he has spoken to may or may not have attended the party, he said.
He said his investigation is separate from that of the Fallon Police Department.
"It boils down to multiple perpetrators. It is fair to say multiple people (had sexual intercourse with her)," he said.
The television station reported the site of the party was a home owned by a former coach at Churchill County High School. Pasquale said it is not an issue whether the person who allegedly purchased alcohol for the party was a former coach at the high school. What is an issue, he added, is the possibility an adult purchased liquor for the party.
Calls to the former coach for comment were not returned. The attorney said he has spoken with the Fallon Police Department detectives about his investigation and stressed to them it will not interfere with their work.
He added the police department has provided him some helpful information in his investigation. Pasquale said he would share information he obtains with the police department.
"My investigation will definitely be civil, and theirs definitely will be criminal." he said.
Pasquale said he does not know when his investigation will be complete, and added he first thought it would have been completed by now.
Churchill County Sheriff Rich Ingram said his office received an anonymous call about the party at 8:15 p.m. Jan. 22.
The next day CCSO deputies worked with the Fallon Police Department to determine if the location of the party was in the city or the county. After determining the incident occurred in the city limits, the police department took over the investigation.