Child Sex Predator Pled Guilty

Child Sex Predator to Receive Three Life Sentences

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks announced today the plea of a child sex predator to charges involving sexual offenses against children.  Craig Steven Blodgett, 55 (DOB 7/5/60) of Sparks, pled guilty to three Category A felonies related to sexual offenses he committed against several children. All three felonies carry mandatory life sentences. Blodgett will not be eligible for parole until he has served a minimum of 40 years in prison. The Honorable Patrick Flanagan of the Second Judicial District Court will sentence Blodgett on November 18^th, 2015.

In June, 2014, a young woman reported to police that Blodgett had sexually abused her when she was a child. The ensuing investigation included the search and seizure of numerous items of Blodgett’s property and authorities were able to identify numerous additional victims.  Blodgett has a prior conviction for a sexual offense. In the early 1990’s, Blodgett was convicted of Indecent Exposure after he lured a four year old child to his home, then committed sexual acts in front of her.

A multi-disciplinary team coordinated through the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center investigated this case. The team included authorities from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Unit, the Northern Nevada Cyber Center, the Washoe County Child Abuse Response and Evaluation (CARES) team, Washoe County Social Services, and the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office.

The Washoe County Child Advocacy Center opened June 13, 2014. Its mission is to ensure the health and safety of a child through a neutral, child-centered environment. The new center is designed to minimize trauma and provide advocacy for the child and non-offending caregivers and to support effective investigations.