Man pleads guilty in rape of girl

A man accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old Fernley girl will be sentenced Oct. 13 after pleading guilty Wednesday.

Brandt Whetstone, 39, appeared in Lyon County District Court in Yerington and pleaded guilty to one count of felony sexual assault.

In exchange for the plea, the district attorney dropped two charges of kidnapping.

Whetstone was arrested May 14 after the girl told police he lured her and her 8-year-old brother from their north Fernley front yard.

She said he then drove them to the store, bought them candy, blindfolded the boy and released him in a residential neighborhood before driving to a nearby park where he slapped her and sexually assaulted her.

The girl was found walking toward her home shortly after her brother reported to the parents what had happened, according to Rob Hall of the Lyon County Sheriff's Department.

Whetstone had moved to Nevada from Oregon and was staying with the parents of his fiancee in Reno.

He was in Fernley doing some construction work when the incident occurred.

District Attorney Leon Aberasturi said the case's outcome is ideal.

"I think it's great that we don't have to drag the kids through this in court and have them relive it," he said. "It puts the parents more at ease."

Aberasturi said despite the fact that the two kidnapping charges were dropped, Whetstone still faces a sentences of life in prison. Whether that is with or without parole depends on the judge.

He remains in the Lyon County Jail, Aberasturi said.