Judge rules against bail reduction of sexual assault suspect

The defense attorney for the paraprofessional teacher’s aide charged with numerous sex crimes against children fought unsuccessfully for a bail reduction during a recent hearing.

Instead, prosecutors Katrina Samuels and Daniel Young motioned for and were granted an increased bail amount for Jose Manuel Bautista, represented by Lisa Chamlee after an alleged second victim came forward.

“Your honor, I am against a bail reduction,” Samuels said. “We don’t have one victim but two victims and the charges include a Category A felony.”

Judge Gus Sullivan advised the defendant that probable cause was found to increase the bail amount an additional $50,000 at the request of prosecutors Katrina Samuels and Daniel Young.

Bautista now remains behind bars at the Nye County Detention Center on a $400,000 bond.

Additionally, the court converted Bautista’s preliminary hearing, to a pre-trial hearing, where he will return to court Nov. 10, at 9 a.m.

He faces numerous charges, including child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sex act involving an adult school employee/volunteer with a pupil, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Last month, Nye County deputies were dispatched to Pahrump Valley High regarding an alleged sexual assault, where they made contact with the alleged victim, described as a 17-year-old female student.

While the victim was writing a statement about the alleged sexual assault incident she stopped, due to being distraught, police said.

The victim said that Bautista offered his assistance to help her with schoolwork and to “hang out,” the arrest report stated.

Bautista originally told the victim that they would go to a park, but after he picked her up, he instead drove to his house, according to the sheriff’s office.

Once arriving at his house, the victim claimed that Bautista showed her around and then brought out some marijuana.

The victim said Bautista began to smoke the weed and at one point he grabbed her by her face and blew the marijuana smoke into her mouth.

After that alleged incident, the victim said she was confused.

The report also stated that Bautista then took the female victim to his room where she looked around and then sat down, when he sat beside her.

While sitting down, the victim said that Bautista asked her about her parents and then while she was answering, he began to kiss her.

The victim said that Bautista climbed on top of her and continued kissing her and told her “they were going to have some fun,” the police report stated.

Bautista then allegedly proceeded to sexually assault the victim, even after the victim repeatedly told him to stop, according to the sheriff’s office.

Toward the end of the alleged assault, the victim said Bautista told her, “this never happened,” according to the arrest report.

The victim alerted sheriff’s deputies that they could find DNA evidence on a maroon-colored shirt at his home.

When first approached by the sheriff’s office, Bautista denied the incident, but later admitted to having sex with the victim, police said.

He said he was aware the victim was 17-years-old and a student at the high school, as he had been employed at Pahrump Valley High for a month-and-a-half as a teacher’s aide, working with special needs students.

Bautista eventually corroborated the victim’s story, down to the maroon shirt, but claimed it wasn’t against the victim’s will.

A search warrant was granted and the sheriff’s office obtained Bautista’s DNA, a urine sample and the maroon shirt that was alleged to contain his DNA.

Bautista was arrested and transported to the Nye County Detention Center on the five charges, where he is being held on the $400,000 bond.

Reporter Mick Akers contributed to this story.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes