District Attorney Sentencing Update

Defendant Found Guilty in Lewdness Trial Sentenced to Multiple Life Terms

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that a lewdness with a child prosecution has resulted in multiple life sentences for a defendant who was found guilty earlier this year by a Washoe County jury.  The case was investigated through the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and the investigation was led by Reno Police Department (RPD) detectives with the Family Crimes Unit. The sentences ensure the defendant must serve 38 years in prison before parole eligibility begins.

Christopher E. Kindler, 43, from Reno, was convicted in March of five counts of Lewdness with a Child Under the Age of Fourteen and one count of Attempted Lewdness with a Child Under the Age of Fourteen. Kindler was sentenced yesterday to five life terms for each of the lewdness counts and an additional 20 year prison term for the attempted lewdness count.  Three of the lewdness sentences and the single attempted lewdness sentence were set by the court to run consecutive, while two of the lewdness counts were set to run concurrent to the other counts.   Kindler was convicted  of fondling and attempted to fondle the private areas of three male victims who ranged in age from 11-13 years old. 

Case Details:

Detectives with RPD began an investigation into Kindler in December, 2016 when the mother of a 12 year old boy reported finding disturbing text messages on her son’s phone sent from a neighbor identified as Kindler. The messages involved discussion of Kindler having taken a bath with the boy and other communications that were sexual in nature.  The boy’s mother immediately called police and an investigation into the allegations of abuse began.  The child victim was interviewed at the CAC and the case led to two additional male victims, who were also neighbors of Kindler. These two other boys reported similar incidents of Kindler having touched or trying to touch their genitals.  Based on the interviews and additional evidence collected during the investigation, including cell phone data, Kindler was arrested.   This office filed criminal charges against him and the case proceeded to trial. 

At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Amos Stege highlighted a 2000 incident in San Mateo, California where the defendant worked as a long term substitute teacher.  The California case alleged that Kindler had inappropriate contact with an adolescent male student and was given probation in California.  DDA Stege also highlighted the predatory pattern of grooming in the Reno case.  A court ordered evaluation found that Kindler is a high risk to re-offend. “The 38 year sentence ensures that the community will be safe from Mr. Kindler”, said DDA Stege.