Florida duo Sierra Campany and Nicholas Bassler Jr., both 24, have been accused of multiple sexual offences against children and sending child porn videos to each other on Facebook
Nicholas Bassler is accused of sexually abusing children in Florida
A couple has been accused of sexually abusing two girls, including one of their own daughters and a six-month-old they were babysitting.
Sierra Campany, 24, and Nicholas Bassler Jr., 24, both from Florida, are accused of multiple offences, including sending videos of child sex abuse to each other on Facebook.
Documents from Manatee County Court reveal that Campany is accused of one count of forced fondling of a person under the age of 12. Bassler is accused of one count of capital sexual battery of a person under the age of 12.
It comes after an investigation from local authorities, which was launched on June 5, claimed to find extreme depravity, including repeated abuse of an infant and toddler. Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells described the case as “pure evil”.
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Officers received a tip-off about four images of child sexual exploitation material being shared between Campany and Bassler, and on September 13, police went to the pair’s home in Bradenton, where a search warrant was executed and a tablet device was taken along with other electronic items.
Sheriff Wells said: “On September 14, forensics on a cell phone showed video of Campany sexually battering a 3-year-old as well as a 10-month-old child. Campany was interviewed by detectives and confessed to sexually battering the three and 10-month-old child.”
Florida mum Sierra Campany is charged with sexual offences against her own daughter
A probable cause affidavit detailed how there was a video in which the defendant performed oral sex on her three-year-old daughter and masturbated. The document explained: “She admitted to video recording this using her cell phone. Sierra confessed to taking numerous videos of [her daughter] in a sexual manner.”
The following day, videos of Bassler performing sex acts on a 10-month-old child were found by investigators. Sheriff Wells said that after Bassler was arrested, he made “incriminating” statements which supported his own charge, Law & Crime reports.
The affidavit of probable cause filed in Bassler’s case does not contain details of the allegations against him. A criminal complaint filed in his case, however, contains a graphic depiction of a video allegedly showing Bassler raping a non-relative 6-month-old girl.
Campany is believed to have confessed to being in the room when this happened and to also being involved. Police have claimed this offence happened more than once and happened while the pair were babysitting.
Both defendants were originally arrested on sexual battery charges. Campany’s current charge was later changed to forced fondling. Wells said additional charges are anticipated.
In a press conference, Sheriff Wells said: “I’ve been doing this job for close to 40 years and it takes a lot to bother me. This case absolutely sickens me. I don’t know how you could do things that they have done to small children and go to sleep at night. This, in my opinion, is lower than any scum I’ve been around in a long, long time.”
At the time of her arrest, Campany was nine months pregnant and tested positive for PCP at the time. The three-year-old living with the couple was placed with relatives due to the positive drug test, the sheriff added.