RENO -- A Washoe County grand jury has indicted a Dayton man on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and battery of a Carson City girl he allegedly lured through a babysitting ad.
Michael Botelho, 42, is in the Washoe County Jail on a $250,000 cash-only bail. A Thursday hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to go forward with a jury trial was canceled after the grand jury returned the indictment late Wednesday afternoon, said Deputy District Attorney Kelli Viloria.
According to police reports, Botelho allegedly contacted the girl after she placed a classified ad offering baby-sitting services in a free-distribution paper.
Under the ruse that he needed a sitter for his children, Botelho picked up the girl on Aug. 6 at her home and drove her to Washoe Lake, where he sexually assaulted her for nearly an hour, said Sgt. Dave Nikoley of the Washoe County Sheriff's Department.
Botelho then drove the girl back to her neighborhood, dropped her off, and warned her to keep quiet.
She immediately reported the incident.
Viloria said she presented her evidence to the grand jury with the victim's emotional state in mind.
"In this particular case, I have a very fragile victim. In the preliminary hearing, the defendant is present; at the grand jury, the defendant is not," she said.
Botelho's initial bail of $75,000 was increased to $250,000 at Viloria's request.
She said she made the request "to ensure the defendant would appear in court, and not harm the victim or any other children in the community."
Botelho's next appearance will be in Reno District Court, where he will enter a plea to the charges. Viloria said no arraignment date has been set.
