Sex offender arrested in task force sweep; police ask for parents’ help
Authorities are requesting that parents ask their children if they might have been victims of a sex offender netted by a multi-agency child pornography task force today.
Las Vegas police Lt. Troy Barrett said they want to make sure there are no other victims of 42-year-old Michael G. Ward, who was arrested on three counts of statutory sexual seduction, one count of use of a minor in the production of pornography and 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
“Parents, if you know this person, talk to your children,” Barrett said.
Court records show Ward in 1998 pleaded guilty to assault and battery and lewdness with a child under 14 years of age. He was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison.
Barrett said there were a “few” victims involved in Ward’s latest arrest.
He wouldn’t go into detail about those cases, or identify the neighborhoods where Ward or the alleged victims live. Nor did he provide the names of schools the alleged victims might attend.
But he said police didn’t believe Ward distributed the photos and home videos he took.
Ward was one of nine suspects nabbed in the last few days by a task force made up of officers from the Metropolitan and Henderson police departments and the FBI.
Police said there were no victims in the other cases.
The other suspects are:
—Elbert Bernard, 59, was arrested on five counts of possession of child pornography.
—Daniel Combes, 46, was arrested on 15 counts of possession of child pornography.
—Anthony Flores, 32, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
—Hector A. Gonzalez, no age provided, was arrested on 10 counts of possession of child pornography after his employer noticed the information on his work computer, Barrett said.
—Thomas K. Krattenmaker, 22, was arrested on six counts of advertising or distributing child pornography and 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
—Paul Smith, 51, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
—Juan Vega, 37, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
—Terry K. Ziegler, 56, was arrested on 15 counts of possession of child pornography.
Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.
