Authorities: Sex assault defendant plotted young victim’s murder

A Las Vegas judge slapped a no-contact order on a California ex-convict charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl after prosecutors said they learned he found the victim’s home address and plotted to kill her with another inmate.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Sciscento on Friday ordered Richard Schlacta to have no contact with any other inmates, restricted his phone and mail access and had all witness names and identifiers removed from court documents. Schlacta, who must gain permission from the court to speak with family members, is not barred from talking with his lawyer.

“Police are taking appropriate measures to protect the victim and her family,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Jim Sweetin, who would not go into detail about those measures.

Sweetin said police learned of the burgeoning plot after an unidentified inmate wrote a letter to the victim and her family and warned them of Schlacta’s intentions.

Schlacta learned the victim’s address when reviewing court documents in the case, authorities said.

The investigation into the threat is ongoing, and Schlacta hasn’t been charged.

His lawyer, Mace Yampolsky, did not return a call requesting comment.

Schlacta, 48, faces eight counts, including sexual assault, kidnapping, and battery with a deadly weapon.

Las Vegas police said the victim was locking up her bike early Aug. 28 on the north side of Woodbury Middle School, on Harmon Avenue near U.S. Highway 95, where she was waiting for a bus to take her to Knudson Middle School, a creative arts, language and technology magnet program school.

About 5:45 a.m., Schlacta approached the teen and dragged her into a nearby building south of the school where he assaulted her multiple times, police said.

The girl fought off her attacker and escaped. She ran to Harmon Avenue, where she flagged down a passing motorist who called police at 5:53 a.m.

Schlacta attempted to flee but was soon caught.

A preliminary hearing was set in the case for Nov. 21, at which prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to take the case to trial.

Schlacta, who is jailed at the Clark County Detention Center on $1 million bail, has a lengthy criminal history in California, including convictions on burglary, vehicle theft and drug charges in 1993.

He was released in 1995. But after being convicted in 2003 on similar charges, he was imprisoned until 2012 based on the state’s “second strike” law, which doubled his sentence.

Schlacta also was imprisoned from February to June last year on a drug charge, which didn’t qualify as a “third strike” under California’s law, authorities have said.

In all, Schlacta has been found guilty of 19 different charges in nine cases.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.