DeGraffenreid Charged

Stephan L. DeGraffenreid, 26, of Gardnerville, Nev., has been charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography.

The charges against DeGraffenreid, an employee at a children’s ski school at a ski resort in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.

According to a criminal complaint, law enforcement discovered child pornography on an Apple iPod Touch that was found at the Children’s Ski School at Heavenly Ski Resort. The iPod belonged to DeGraffenreid, and a subsequent search of his residence yielded a thumb drive containing explicit images of children in a Gardnerville, Nev., day care facility restroom.

DeGraffenreid admitted to downloading and possessing the child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory statutory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison for each of the sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation charges.

The investigation into DeGraffenreid’s activities was conducted by the FBI, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon M. Bryant.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. As the case against DeGraffenreid moves forward, the community will be watching to see how justice is served in this disturbing case of child exploitation.

The charges against DeGraffenreid serve as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in preventing child exploitation and the need for swift action when such crimes are discovered. The fact that DeGraffenreid was employed at a children’s ski school, a place where parents trust their children to be safe, makes the allegations against him all the more disturbing.