Transient arrested in child abduction, sexual assault

FERNLEY -- A transient is in custody today in the sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl and the abduction of her and her 8-year-old brother from the front yard of their north Fernley home, authorities said Wednesday.

Brant Whetstone, 40, was being held in the Lyon County Jail in Yerington on two counts of felony second-degree kidnapping and felony forcible sexual assault on a child, Investigator Robin Hall of the Lyon County Sheriff's Department said.

He said the two children were playing in their yard about 5 p.m. Tuesday when Whetstone approached and enticed them into his truck with promises of candy.

"He took them to the store and bought them some candy, then pushed the brother out of the truck and took the female victim off by herself," Hall said.

The boy ran home to his parents, and as they went outside to look for the girl, she was walking down the street, Hall said.

The girl told investigators the man dropped her off near her neighborhood after sexually assaulting her.

Based on descriptions of the truck and man given by the children, Whetstone was located about noon Wednesday at a home where he was doing siding work.

"The victims positively identified the vehicle and the suspect and he was taken into custody without incident," Hall said. "Their description was to a T. They were pretty brave."

Hall said an interview with Whetstone yielded little information.

He said Whetstone has a criminal history, but no crimes against children. He has been known to use several aliases and has only been in the area for about three months, possibly coming from Oklahoma.

"He was mostly sleeping in his truck and at motels and hotels," Hall said.

Because of Fernley's rural nature, Hall said, parents might not be as diligent in watching their children.

"You don't expect something like this to happen in small-town Fernley," he said. "If your kids are playing in the front yard, keep an eye on them. And if you're not going to be with them at all times and have a back yard that's secure, have them play there."

He noted in cases of child abduction, the end result is often tragic.

"In most of these cases the children just disappear," he said. "Whenever somebody messes with the kids in this county, they better stand by."

Whetstone is being held on a $600,000 bail.