Las Vegas Police Officer Arrested for Sexual Contact with Minors



photo of Officer Christopher Peto
Las Vegas Officer Christopher Peto

Las Vegas Police Department

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received an anonymous tip regarding Officer Christopher Thomas Peto last week. According to the article by KTNV.com, the tipster said, “an officer, assigned to the Laughlin Area Command, may have been having inappropriate sexual relations with minor girls. Las Vegas police internal affairs began looking into the allegations.

They discovered that Officer Peto, who is 47 years old and has been with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for 20 years, had connected with two minor females when making calls to the combination junior/senior high school in Laughlin. For the last two years Officer Peto had been having sexual relations with the two minors.

Arrested and Charged

Officer Christopher Peto was arrested on Friday, January 31, for:  Lewdness with a Child, 14 or 15, by a Person 18 or Older; 3 counts of Engaging in Soliciting Child for Prostitution; 2 counts of Kidnapping a Minor; Lewdness with a Child Under 14; Child Abuse or Neglect.

Mr. Peto was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. None of the articles I read gave information on his bond amount and whether he was able to bond out or was still being held.

There Were Red Flags

It’s not surprising that this officer has had other problems, including the death of a person in his custody. He was found not to have contributed to the death but just months after the death Peto was disciplined for “serving alcohol to minors and taking minors to a hotel/casino.” In this incident a female called Peto asking him to get her and her friend, who was under age, into a club. Peto called another officer, Kendall Walker, and the two officers got the two women into the club. Later in the evening, the adult female, Officer Walker and Peto, went to Peto’s home. The female fell asleep and woke up when Walker raped her. Walker was fired. Peto was suspended for 80 hours for his role in using his status as an officer to get a minor into a club.

Then in 2009 Officer Peto was arrested for driving under the influence. In regards to this DUI case, the Las Vegas ReviewJournal.com wrote, “The outcome of the case was unclear Friday.” 

Investigation Continues

It seems unlikely that Officer Peto was new at engaging with minors. He seemed comfortable enough in what he was doing to be abusing two different minors from the same school. At least LVMPD Criminal Investigations Division seems to think so. They are asking for people to call them at 702-587-2709 if you have information or if you have been a victim.  If you are not comfortable calling the police department, you can reach out to Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or crimestoppersofnv.com

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