Summary: The estranged brother of the Las Vegas gunman has been arrested for child pornography in Los Angeles.
In a bizarre but unrelated twist, the estranged brother of Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock has been arrested for child pornography. Bruce Paddock, 58, was detained at an assisted-living facility in Los Angeles where he was staying while he prepared for spinal stenosis surgery.
An investigation into Paddock began long before his brother’s fateful actions occurred in Las Vegas. The investigation into Paddock resulted in a felony complaint alleging the possession of over 600 explicit images of minors in 2014 plus the swapping of pornography with others. He has been charged with 19 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography.
Paddock has been squatting in a building where the images were found by the Los Angeles Police Department but they could no longer find him. They said that his brother’s crime revealed his whereabouts, allowing them to obtain a warrant for his arrest.
Paddock explained at the time of mass shooting by his brother that he had not been in contact with him for over ten years. Even then, he could not comprehend how his brother, a professional gambler, would resort to such a cruel thing. He said in an October 1 interview with NBC News, “I don’t know how he could stoop to this low point, hurting someone else. It wasn’t suicide by cop since he killed himself. He killed a bunch of people and then killed himself so he didn’t have to face whatever it was.”
However, Paddock was the one to reveal their families dark history. Their father was a bank robber that was once featured on the FBI’s most-wanted list. The authorities saw their father as a psychopath with “suicidal tendencies.” He didn’t believe his brother to be “mentally deranged,” especially since he had no previous run-ins with the law.
Unlike his brother, Paddock had plenty of problems with the law. His rap sheet goes back to the 80s and included things convictions for criminal threats, vandalism, theft, and driving with a suspended vehicle. He has had several more arrests that did not result in convictions.
Paddock blames his brother’s crime for drawing attention to his inappropriate behavior, which he said is “minor.” When he was linked to Stephen, it became aware that he had an active warrant for his arrest from a vandalism case he failed to perform community service for. Paddock had to rush to find money to pay the fine but he was not sent to prison.
The FBI had visited Paddock twice since his brother’s shooting to learn about their childhood. Paddock has also been reaching out to his family, trying to repair their fractured relationship. He said, “I want to see if we could patch up what we destroyed so many years ago.” The only family member he has reached is his mother who is “yelling at me all the time not to talk to anyone.”
Paddock has also tried to claim his brother’s remains from the Nevada coroner’s office, alleging that he was concerned about the fate of them.
Do you think Stephen Paddock may have suffered a mental break since mental illness apparently runs in their family? Why do you think Stephen Paddock did what he did? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about the Vegas shooting, read these articles:
- CBS Legal Exec Fired for Comments Regarding Las Vegas Shooting
- Las Vegas Shooter Looked at Hotel Rooms in Chicago Overlooking Lollapalooza
- Las Vegas Police Say Shooting Not Related to International Terror
Photo: businessinsider.com