Friday, February 27, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COMPUTER CONFISCATED: Child porn inquiry targets Wynn's kin

Casino developer's brother subject of Operation Predator

Kenny Wynn, brother of hotel-casino developer Steve Wynn, is the subject of the same international child pornography investigation that netted another local man earlier this month, according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation.

Kenny Wynn, 50, came under suspicion when investigators taking part in Operation Predator discovered his name on a Web site where child porn images were trafficked, the source said.

Authorities confiscated a computer from Kenny Wynn's home last week and were searching its hard drive for images of child pornography, an involved process that could take some time, the source said.

The search warrant, obtained through federal court, was sealed.

Operation Predator, started in July under the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, targets child sex tourists, human traffickers, Internet predators and other child sexual predators worldwide.

The operation has led to more than 1,700 arrests in the United States.

Kenny Wynn is the second Las Vegas-area man targeted by the global investigation.

Two weeks ago authorities arrested Harold Shaw, a former gymnastics coach and summer camp volunteer who authorities said videotaped himself molesting an 11-year-old girl.

Shaw was charged with three counts of sexual assault of a minor under 14 years, lewdness with a minor, two counts of manufacturing child pornography and possessing child pornography.

Shaw's name and credit card information appeared on a subscriber list from a Belarus-based business that deals in child pornography Web sites, police said.

"You might get a Web site like that has 1,000 or 2,000 names on it, but these are the only two that I know that we were looking at," the source said.

Kenny Wynn has not been charged with a crime. And no arrests were imminent as the investigation continued.

"Sometimes these things take time," the source said. "If there are illegal images in the computer, he'll probably be prosecuted federally."

Federal officials declined to say whether Kenny Wynn was under investigation.

"At this point, we cannot comment one way or another on who may or may not involved in the investigation until such point that a person is going to be charged," said Stephen Usiak, resident-agent-in-charge with the local Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

However, Usiak confirmed that Operation Predator was ongoing.

"There's a number of search warrants they're taking a look at," he said.

Until last week Kenny Wynn had been president of Wynn Resorts subsidiary Wynn Design and Development, and a minor stockholder with a 0.146 percent in the company which he landed for an initial investment of $1.2 million.

Steve Wynn, who had been paying his brother a salary of $1 a year, last week said Kenny Wynn "left to pursue other interests."

Neither Wynn brother could be reached for comment Thursday.

Kenny Wynn has been responsible for supervising the construction, architectural and interior design and purchasing for Wynn Las Vegas.

Before Wynn Resorts was set up to develop Wynn Las Vegas, Kenny Wynn worked for his brother as vice president of Mirage Resorts for design and construction between 1973 and 2000.

He was also president of Atlandia Design & Furnishings, then a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mirage Resorts, where he supervised the construction, architecture, interior design and purchasing departments, as well as outside contractors and consultants for all of Mirage Resorts' new construction and remodeling projects, including Bellagio, The Mirage, Treasure Island and Golden Nugget-Las Vegas.

In 1992, Kenny Wynn was the subject of a Gaming Control Board investigation into allegations of substance abuse. He admitted to using marijuana and cocaine.

After taking a leave of absence from Atlandia and undergoing drug treatment, Kenny Wynn paid a $10,000 fine for violating Nevada's gaming statutes and was reinstated.

Gaming Wire writer Rod Smith contributed to this report.