Barnard Pleads Guilty to Three Charges Related to the Sexual Assault of a Minor 

Russel Eugene Barnard, currently in custody at the Churchill County Detention Center, appeared before Judge Tom Stockard in the Tenth Judicial District Court on Tuesday, September 21. Per the terms of his plea negotiations with the State, Barnard entered guilty pleas on three charges related to the sexual assault of a minor. 

Barnard pled guilty to Administering Drugs to Aid in the Commission of a Felony, a Category B Felony punishable 1-10 years in prison. According to the criminal complaint read during his arraignment on March 3, Barnard allegedly gave marijuana to a minor with the intent to enable or assist the defendant in committing lewdness with a child or committing sexual assault. 

Barnard also pled guilty to a charge of Lewdness with a Child Under 16, a Category B Felony that is punishable by 1-10 years if the victim is between 14-15. Further, the charge requires lifetime sex offender registration and carries a  potential fine of up to $10,000. According to statements read during his arraignment, Barnard allegedly committed three separate illicit acts with a 14-year-old child for sexual gratification. 

Finally, Barnard pled guilty to the Sexual Assault of a Child under 16 (without Substantial Bodily Harm), a Category A Felony. When the victim is age 14-15, the offense is punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. In Nevada, sexual assault of a child technically qualifies as two separate crimes: (1) child abuse and (2) sexual assault. However, “double jeopardy” protects defendants from being convicted of a similar offense for the same behavior. Defendants accused of sexually assaulting a minor can either be convicted of child abuse or sexual assault, but not both. In this case, Barnard was charged with and pled guilty to sexually assaulting a minor. 

During the proceedings, defense counsel for Barnard, Churchill County Public Defender Jacob Sommer, stated that his client did give a 14-year-old child marijuana and did interact with the victim in a manner deemed sexual in nature. Sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2021, pending a pre-sentencing investigation and psychosexual evaluation.