Reno Man Indicted for Sexual Abuse of a Child

RENO - A Reno man made his initial appearance in court on Wednesday for allegedly sexually abusing a child on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, in Reno.

As alleged in the indictment, on December 1, 2025, Bruce Sanchez engaged in sexual contact with a nine-year-old child who is an enrolled member of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony.

Sanchez was charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse within Indian Country and three counts of abusive sexual contact within Indian Country. United States Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin set a trial to begin on August 4, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Anne R. Traum.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Office made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI Reno Resident Agency and Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Penelope Brady is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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