Attorney: Tuck's Not Guilty Of Crime
Tuck Pleads Not Guilty; Bail Set
POSTED: 11:44 am PDT October 22,
2007
UPDATED: 3:36 pm PDT October 22,
2007
PAHRUMP, Nev. -- Darrin Tuck Jr., made his first appearance Monday on a charge of felony possession of child pornography charge. Tuck is the man who turned in a videotape featuring the sexual assault of a young girl that sparked a nationwide manhunt.Tuck's lawyer called him a good Samaritan for turning over the tape. But the district attorney said he is guilty of having child pornography for five and a half months."He's not committed a crime," Tuck's attorney, Chris Rasmussen, said in court. "We want a bail of $3,000."Tuck has been charged with possessing child pornography and pleaded not guilty Monday. After turning in the tape, Tuck was found in violation of his probation. Police said that after giving an interview to "America's Most Wanted," Tuck left town and headed to Utah. Prosecutors asked the judge to set bail at a minimum of $100,000, saying he was a flight risk.
"Mr. Tuck is not familiar to me," Nye County Judge Tina Brisbell said. "I do recognize the family last name, which's lived here a long time. He's got family; he's got support. I'm going set his bail at $3,000."After the arraignment, Tuck's father maintained his son's innocence."He has no knowledge of the girl," Darrin Tuck Sr. said. "I think he was afraid to turn the tape in -- and for good reason, he's in jail."Tuck Jr.'s lawyer has been talking to Chester Stiles' public defender, Jeff Banks, about clearing his client's name."We're just hoping Stiles comes forward," Rasmussen said. "If he accepts a negotiation and says, 'Yeah, I put the tape there. Yeah, I don't know Mr. Tuck,' the state will hopefully drop the charges against him."But District Attorney Robert Beckett said Tuck Jr.'s story is inconsistent."Bottom line is we want to get at the truth, the whole truth," Beckett said. "If it comes from Tuck -- fine. If it comes from Stiles -- fine. We just want to know what happened."Although the bail was set at $3,000, Tuck will not get out of jail just yet. He's still in custody for not paying child support, and he will appear in court next Monday on those charges.The judge set his preliminary hearing in the child pornography case for Nov. 6.
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