Sentencing in Lewdness Case

WCDA Announces Multiple Life Prison Terms for Child Sexual Offender

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has secured three life sentences against a child sexual predator convicted on sexual abuse and production of child pornography charges.  The case was investigated by a multi-disciplinary team within the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) that stemmed from an August, 2017 report of abuse made to the Reno Police Department (RPD).  The sentence ensures that the defendant must serve a minimum of 30 years in prison before parole eligibility begins.

Michael Jason Gallagher, 40, from Reno pled guilty in January to two counts of Lewdness with a Child Under 14 and one count of Use or Permit Minor Under Age 14 to Produce Pornography.  Gallagher was sentenced to 3 life terms, with the possibility of parole beginning only after 30 years has been served.

The case against Gallagher began on August 10, 2017 when a seven year old female victim disclosed incidents of abuse to a trusted adult.  RPD’s Family Crimes Unit was contacted and detectives determined that the victim had been abused over the course of several months by Gallagher, who lived in the victim’s home.  Gallagher had moved into the home with the victim and her mother in April, 2017.  While there, he committed several acts of lewdness with the child, to include touching her private body parts.  Detectives also determined Gallagher had directed the victim to engage in sexual acts and poses, which he then recorded and kept on his phone.  After a thorough investigation, RPD detectives arrested Gallagher and this office filed formal criminal charges against him. 

During sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kossow argued that the Defendant deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison for the actions he took against the seven year old victim.