Tonopah man arrested in connection with sexual assault of child

A Tonopah man was arrested Monday in connection with the sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl in 2011, the Nye County Sheriff’s office announced Monday.

The sheriff’s office was alerted the first week of March by an outside agency that a young girl had been sexually assaulted between 2011 and 2012 in Tonopah, the department wrote in a release Monday. The release did not identify the outside agency.

Kenneth Cardenas, 39, was arrested Monday in connection with the assault, the release said.

The girl, who was 3 years old at the time of the first assault, said Cardenas had been sexually active with her, the release said.

“The information was reviewed by Detective Perry and found to be a credible disclosure of sexual assault,” the release said.

The detective interviewed Cardenas, who made several incriminating statements that were consistent with the girl’s claims, according to the sheriff’s office. Cardenas was booked without incident on charges of sexual assault, the sheriff’s office wrote.

The release did not say what incriminating statements Cardenas made or at what jail he was being housed. They did not release his bail amount.

A call to the sheriff’s office was immediately returned Monday afternoon.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber