A Carson City teen being charged as an adult will appear in court April 16 to determine if there's enough evidence to try him on charges of raping a male classmate.
Harold Willard, 16, is being held in the Carson City Jail on two counts of suspicion of felony sexual assault, and one count each of assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment.
According to the police report, Willard allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old boy by threatening his life and brandishing a shotgun Sunday and Monday as part of an initiation into a racist gang. Carson City Sheriff's investigator Bob Motamenpour said Willard, the victim and one other teen who allegedly aided in the second assault were the gang's only members.
Willard, a Carson High School sophomore, was arrested at the school Wednesday and taken to juvenile detention following a police interview with the victim and witness. Thursday afternoon, Willard was booked into the Carson City Jail after District Attorney Noel Waters determined the circumstances of the alleged crimes qualified Willard to be tried as an adult.
According to Nevada law there are three criteria that must be met before a juvenile can be tried as an adult if the offense of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault involved the use or threatened use of force or violence against the victim, the person is 16 years of age or older when the sexual assault or attempted sexual assault was committed, and the person had a previous conviction adjudicated in juvenile court that would have been a felony if committed by an adult.
Waters declined to reveal, what, if any conviction, Willard may have as a juvenile.
Jail Sgt. Kurt Davis said because of Willard's age, he is being kept separate from the other inmates and under constant watch. After a psychological evaluation, if he is deemed to not be a risk to himself or others, Willard will be put into a special unit, Davis said. Davis said if Willard requests it, he could continue his schooling while in custody.
"That would be a challenge that we'd be more than willing to meet," he said.
Only one other juvenile, 16-year-old Brandon Hubbard, is in custody in the adult jail. Hubbard is awaiting trial on an alleged rape of a woman he met at a bar in August 2002.
Hubbard was 15 at the time of his arrest and was certified as an adult by a magistrate in October 2002.
Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.
