Judge increases bail to $500K for Las Vegas police sergeant in alleged toilet fetish case
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A judge increased bail to $500,000 cash for a Las Vegas Metropolitan police sergeant charged in three separate criminal cases Monday afternoon.
Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus said Kevin Menon, 43, abused trust while given the opportunity to be out on bail. If Menon were to post cash bail of $500,000, he would be forced to be on high-level electronic monitoring.
'I don't know that he has control over himself,' Holthus said.
Menon looked at his wife and sister-in-law, who were in tears, as he was walked out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Hamner and defense attorneys Robert Draskovich and Michael Horvath met in the judge's chambers for nearly two hours before the court hearing to review evidence in the case, which included alleged child sexual abuse material, also known as child pornography.
Menon previously invoked his right to a speedy trial and pleaded not guilty to 28 counts of capturing the image of a private area of another person.
Menon installed two cameras in his home bathroom, according to Hamner. Police found 96 recordings of women using the restroom, Hamner said. The victims, which included Menon's wife, Natasha Menon, and sister-in-law, Tamara Russell, were unaware they were being recorded, according to Hamner.
Natasha Menon and Tamara Russell insist they are not victims and submitted affidavits stating they were aware they were being recorded.
Natasha Menon said she only learned of her alleged victim status when she saw a local news report about the case, Draskovich wrote in court documents.
Hamner said he believes they are trying to protect Menon.
Holthus said she does not believe Menon's wife and sister-in-law knew they were being recorded while using the toilet.
Hamner read numerous graphic terms he said Menon searched on electronic devices in open court. They included 'teen potty,' 'teen [expletive] target,' and 'teen toilet.'
Hamner said Menon's search terms prove he has a fetish, and argued that Menon is a danger to the community.
'Kevin Menon has made an absolute mockery of our bail system,' Hamner said as he argued for a $1 million cash bail. 'This is absolutely outrageous, and we are at our wits' end.'
Draskovich referred to the presumption of innocence since Menon has not been convicted and took issue with calling some of the images child sexual abuse material.
Holthus interjected, said many of the images showed underage girls nude with spread legs, and called it '150 percent inappropriate.'
Hamner said images include children under the age of 10 being penetrated and forced to perform oral sex.
Draskovich also said Menon has already posted a total of $300,000 in bail.
Hamner addressed a sign Russell held after a previous court hearing, which stated, 'I don't need a white savior, Hamner.'
Hamner called it a 'personal shot' and pointed out he is half African American.
A Clark County grand jury indicted Menon after reviewing evidence, which included videos of Menon appearing to install cameras. Hamner noted Menon was out of custody on bond at the time on his two ongoing criminal cases.
In his first case, the Clark County District Attorney's Office alleged Menon abused his power by creating fake scenarios that resulted in citizens, mainly Black men, being detained on the Las Vegas Strip.
Menon had been leading a team of officers on the Las Vegas Strip. Body camera and surveillance videos showed Menon dressed in plain clothes while officers were dressed in uniform.
Detectives said when they seized Menon's electronic devices for the investigation, they found child sexual abuse material, also known as child pornography. This resulted in a second criminal case against Menon for child pornography-related charges.
Police first arrested Menon on Aug. 30. A Clark County grand jury later indicted him for 13 charges related to the alleged abuse of power and then four felony sex crimes charges in the second case.
In court documents, Menon claimed he tried to expose racism within the police department and is being retaliated against.
Menon remains out of custody after posting bond in all three cases. After his initial arrest, the department placed Menon on leave with pay and suspended his police powers pending an investigation. The department has since stopped paying him.
Defense attorney Dominic Gentile filed a motion to disqualify Clark County District Court Judge Ron Israel from handling the first two cases due to allegations of abuse from his daughter. The judge responded that he is unaware of any active investigations regarding his daughter's claims. Clark County District Court Judge Mark Denton scheduled a hearing for April 22; it was originally scheduled for Monday.
Holthus set a trial date of June 2 for Menon's third criminal case.
To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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