Bail set for Las Vegas teacher harboring missing teen

A Las Vegas judge set bail for the 44-year-old kindergarten teacher who was arrested when police found a missing 16-year-old girl at his home.

Melvyn Sprowson was arrested Friday on charges of kidnapping, contributing to delinquency of a minor and making a false statement to police officers.

The prosecutor requested $56,000 bail and house arrest for Sprowson.

Judge William Kephart set bail at $530,000 and ordered Sprowson to have no contact with the 16-year-old, directly or through family members.

“The problem I’m having with this is the nature of his employment,” Kephart said.

While police were looking for the missing girl, Henderson and Clark County School District police officers found the girl and Sprowson had interacted on social media.

Police questioned Sprowson at his school Thursday and he denied knowing the teen.

On Friday, school police went to Sprowson’s residence at 4915 E. Russell Road and found the teen “unharmed and in good health,” police said.

School police detectives detained Sprowson at the elementary school later that day and again questioned him about the teen’s whereabouts.

“When we followed up again, he denied knowing her and having her at his residence,” Maciszak said. “At that point, we already had her in our protective custody.”

Sprowson appeared at the hearing via video conference at Clark County Detention Center. His next court hearing is Nov. 21.

Contact reporter Annalise Porter at aporter@reviewjournal.com.