JANUARY 16 UPDATE:
A Sparks man has been sentenced after being convicted in December of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child, Attempted Child Abuse, and Soliciting a Child for Prostitution.
47-year-old Keith Watkins will serve between four and ten years in prison.
He will be eligible for parole after four years.
---
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A Sparks man has been convicted of multiple child sex abuse laws following an investigation that began back in 2022.
47-year old Keith Watkins was arrested by the Washoe County Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit and has been convicted of attempted sex trafficking of a child, attempted child abuse and soliciting a child for prostitution.
In April 2022, Watkins was talking to someone he believed to be a 16-year old girl on social media - this was actually an undercover account for officials.
Even after the undercover account told Watkins that she was 16 years old, he continued to send explicit messages and video to the account.
He then went on to ask the supposed teen if she was an escort and if she wanted to work with him to get into prostitution.
Watkins and the undercover agent continued to chat between May and August. In mid-August, officials were informed that he was at the Peppermill, where he was located and arrested.
Deputy DA Darcy Cameron presented evidence during trial that showed that Watkins had contacted a different undercover profile where a detective was posing as a child, and Watkins had tried to recruit that person as well.
Sentencing for this case is scheduled for January 16, 2025.
