A 27-year-old Fernley man appeared Thursday in Justice Court on charges alleging he produced child pornography.
Dally Ty Petty was bound over to District Court where he will enter a plea on charges of sexual abuse and child pornography in the coming days or weeks.
According to the criminal complaint, Petty allegedly recorded himself and the child engaging in sexual conduct and also lewdly touching the child. The warrant accuses Petty of creating a video and allegedly abusing a child on or about June 24 in Fallon.
After Petty’s arrest, the case generated a flurry of social media activity with dozens of posts online. Petty’s ex-girlfriend, Krysta Lynn Page, reported the alleged criminal acts to law enforcement. However, she revealed sensitive and detailed information about the case on Facebook, which prompted Churchill County District Attorney Art Mallory to stress to individuals to refrain from discussing any aspect of the case online.
Mallory said in a previous interview that public chatter could cause for difficulties in prosecuting the case.
Most importantly, Mallory said his office is “concerned for the child psychologically.”
In addition, the longtime DA said, “Anything that could inflame the jury and prejudice the case we are concerned about inflammatory complaints.”
Petty is being held in the Churchill County Jail on $300,000 bond after he was arrested July 17 on a warrant at his home in Fernley.
He is charged with one count of unlawful use of a minor less than 14 in producing pornography and one count of lewdness with a child under 14.
Both are Category A charges and carry a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
In other court news —
Attorneys for Kevin and Levi Travis appeared Wednesday in District Court and successfully petitioned for their clients release from probation.
The two men were engaged in a fatal brawl in January 2012 and resulted in the death of Harvey Olsen.
Kevin Travis, Levi’s son, pleaded guilty in August 2013 to one felony count of attempt to commit involuntary manslaughter and placed on five years probation. The count, though, could be either a felony or gross misdemeanor, which Judge Robert Estes ruled was a felony.
On Wednesday, though, Kevin Travis’ charge was reduced to a gross misdemeanor by Estes.
Levi Travis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit battery, a gross misdemeanor and received three years probation.
The Travises attorneys said their clients have met their financial duties of each paying $31,472.71 in restitution and have been praised by probation officers in Idaho (Levi) and Washington (Kevin).
Still, Estes was not fully pleased with the years long litigation.
“This case is troubling on many levels, both from the prosecution and the defense,” he said.
Despite his words, Estes ruled the case had unique circumstances allowing for the Travises release from probation.