WCDA Prosecution Outcome

Defendants Sentenced in Recent Child Abuse and Exploitation Cases

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that two defendants convicted on child abuse and exploitation charges have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms by Judge Egan Walker following convictions in Washoe County District Court. Both defendants were arrested in connection with investigations conducted by the Regional Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Team comprised of detectives with the Reno Police Department and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Kurt Lloyd Schneider, age 54, from Sparks, Nevada pled guilty in May to one count of Attempted Abuse or Neglect of a Child Involving Sexual Exploitation and one count of Soliciting a Child for Prostitution. Schneider was sentenced to a maximum term of 8 years in prison with parole eligibility set by the court to begin after a minimum of 3 years has been served.

Orlando Prieto Alvarado, age 47, from Stateline, Nevada pled guilty in June to one count of Attempted Abuse or Neglect of a Child Involving Sexual Exploitation and one count of Soliciting a Child for Prostitution. Alvarado was also sentenced to a maximum term of 8 years in prison with parole eligibility beginning after 3 years.

Both Schneider and Alvarado were arrested during undercover law enforcement operations in which they solicited sex from a detective posing as a 16-year-old female. At the sentencings, Deputy District Attorney Darcy Cameron argued that while society generally thinks about sex traffickers and “pimps” as being the driving force behind child exploitation and trafficking, they aren’t; it is individuals like Schneider and Alvarado who are a willing to a pay a child for sex because a victim cannot be sold if there is no one willing to buy her.    

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office works closely with the HEAT team on cases involving sexual exploitation and human trafficking. HEAT was formed in early 2020 in an effort to combat these crimes in our community and arrests traffickers. Together, this Office and HEAT are committed to holding those who commit these crimes accountable and prevent future victimization from occurring.