Bentonville man denied bond in child pornography case

RSW Jail mug shot of Dorian Eugene Pitts, who was denied bond at a Friday, June 29 hearing in WC Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The interpersonal dynamics at the Bentonville residence targeted in a June 21^st early-morning search involving a child pornography investigation were to some extent revealed during a bond hearing Friday morning in Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Public Defender Ryan Nuzzo called one witness on behalf of his client, 36-year-old Dorian Eugene Pitts.  That witness was Melissa Reader, who testified to a three-year relationship with Pitts that has produced a three-month-old child.

Reader’s testimony indicated that a total of three children live at 91 Indian Hollow Road with the couple.  A sheriff’s office investigator also testified that “four or five adults and several children” resided at the Indian Hollow address.  Additional detail on the other children and adults at the residence was not immediately available.

However, prosecution testimony from Warren County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Brad Pugh indicated that a 13-year-old girl Pitts is accused of videotaping and posting online going to the bathroom is not a resident of 91 Indian Hollow Road.  Pugh testified that child was visiting the residence Memorial Day 2018 weekend for “a family gathering”.

Pugh also testified that the girl was not aware she was being videotaped; and the videotaping was done with an instrument, likely a cell phone wrapped in a towel to camouflage its presence.  The site of the taping was identified as a bathroom in the basement of the home.

Under direct examination, Reader testified that if Pitts was released on bond she would arrange an alternate residence for him at a local motel.  Sheriff’s office investigators plan to file a protective order to prevent Pitts from returning to the Indian Hollow residence if he is released on bond.

However, after listening to about 15 minutes of testimony from three witnesses, Ms. Reader and Investigators Pugh and Mackenzie Knowles, Judge William Sharpe denied the bond request.  Sharpe cited “the presumptive” nature of the case in making his ruling.

Prosecution testimony from the two investigators reviewed the process by which online-posted child pornography was traced to Pitts and the Indian Hollow residence.  Pugh testified local authorities were made aware of the involved pornography by a Bedford County investigation.  That investigation involved four pornographic images of children that were traced to the e-mail address of Dorian Pitts, who was then traced to the Indian Hollow address in Bentonville in southern Warren County.  Bedford County is just east of the City of Roanoke.

Pitts is currently charged with four felony counts of possession of child pornography and one felony count of creating an unlawful image of a minor (the bathroom videotape). See Related Story

Investigator Pugh testified that at the time of the search of the Indian Hollow residence the defendant admitted to ownership of the seized technology devices.

However, after the prosecution tendered a criminal history of a person identified as Pitts’ brother, defense counsel Nuzzo told the court his client denied having ever been charged as a fugitive from law enforcement or having drug charges against him.

Responding to a prosecution question, Investigator Pugh noted that as of yet no charges related to distribution of the child pornographic images had been filed against Pitts.

Other than conversing with his attorney at the defense table, the defendant did not speak during the hearing.

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During defense testimony, Ms. Reader said that Pitts was employed by Uber.  She said he had been a commercial truck driver with a company she identified as NFI, but had switched to Uber because he did not like the hours at the commercial truck transport company.

Anyone with any information relating to this case is asked to contact Investigator Knowles at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 635-7100.