A former Gardnerville resident’s family members resoundingly called for him to receive the maximum sentence of 8-20 years after he admitted groping a 6-7-year-old child.
Phillip Nelson Stroud, 35, admitted that between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022, he groped the child, claiming he was blackout drunk.
The child took the stand on Monday to refute that claim.
The crimes occurred between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022, according to court documents. He will have to register as a sex offender and be under lifetime supervision once he serves his prison term.
Attorney Max Stovall argued that Stroud was a first offender with a minimal criminal record. He said that a psycho-sexual evaluation showed that Stroud was not a high risk to reoffend in seeking a suspended 4-10-year sentence.
“He’s not going to be a danger to society,” Stovall said. “He recognizes the harm he did. This was a terrible, terrible offense.”
Stroud blamed the alcohol for his actions.
“I don’t want anything to do with alcohol and would do anything to take it all back,” he said.
Prosecutor Chelsea Mazza sought the maximum sentence, saying that Stroud was fired from his job at Home Depot because of his substance abuse after he’d refused the offer of a treatment program.
She said that her office had received information that Stroud fantasized about sex with children before the incident, something that the evaluation didn’t address.
“He told the evaluator that he doesn’t believe he would do something like that,” she said.
Mazza credited the girl’s courage in reporting to a counselor what happened to her.
Mazza said that when she first started prosecuting cases involving molested children she thought she was bringing closure to the survivors.
The girl’s mother testified that she stopped allowing herself to be hugged after the incident.
Because the crime wasn’t revealed until December 2024, she brought a picture of the girl to show the judge.
Her father said he felt betrayed, and that Stroud should get the maximum.
The girl testified at the sentencing as part of the victim impact statement.
“He should have the maximum sentence,” she said. “He didn’t do this because he was drunk.”
Stroud admitted to attempted lewdness with a child under the age of 14. In addition to court fees of $178, Stroud must also pay $1,350 for the evaluation. He was given credit for 299 days time served.
