Sierra Campany, on the left, and Nicholas Bassler, on the right, appear in booking photos. (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office)
A Florida couple is charged with various sex crimes after allegedly sending each other child sexual abuse material in a chat on Facebook. The resulting investigation into the pair revealed extreme depravity, including repeated abuse of an infant and toddler, according to law enforcement officials.
Sierra Campany, 24, stands accused of one count of forced fondling of a person under the age of 12. Nicholas Bassler Jr., 24, stands accused of one count of capital sexual battery on a person under the age of 12, according to Manatee County Court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
“What you’re looking at here is pure evil,” Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said during a Wednesday press conference.
An investigation into the couple began on June 5, the sheriff said. On that day, his office received a tip about four images of child sexual exploitation material being shared between Campany and Bassler.
On Sept. 13, deputies arrived at their residence in Bradenton, the sheriff said. A search warrant was executed and “the target tablet” was recovered along with other electronic devices, he added.
Content warning: references to extreme child sexual abuse follow.
“On Sept. 14, forensics on a cell phone showed video of Campany sexually battering a 3-year-old as well as a 10-month-old child,” Wells said. “Campany was interviewed by detectives and confessed to sexually battering the three and 10-month-old child.”
An affidavit of probable cause filed in Campany’s case contains graphic depictions of child sexual abuse. In the document, a deputy describes scenes from a video in which the defendant allegedly performs oral sex on her 3-year-old daughter and masturbates.
“She admitted to video recording this using her cell phone,” the woman’s probable cause affidavit reads. “Sierra confessed to taking numerous videos of [her daughter] in a sexual manner.”
On Sept. 15, additional forensic examination turned up “videos” of Bassler also sexually battering the 10-month-old, the sheriff said. After being arrested pursuant to a warrant, Bassler “made incriminating statements” that supported his own charge, Wells said.
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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 allegedly confessed to “being in the room with Bassler when he did this act to the victim as well as her participating in the act,” the man’s criminal complaint reads. “Based on the videos, it appears this has happened more than once. It should be known that this incident happened when Sierra and Bassler were babysitting the victim.”
Both defendants were originally arrested on sexual battery charges, the sheriff noted. Campany’s current charge was later changed to forced fondling. Wells said additional charges are anticipated.
The sheriff said Bassler is also seen in video on another device sexually battering a 10-year-old and will face charges based on that. The charges against Campany and Bassler were announced during a press conference because the MCSO believes there are additional victims yet to be identified – possibly as far as New York state.
“I’ve been doing this job for close to 40 years and it takes a lot to bother me,” Wells said during the press conference. “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, Wells said. The sheriff said she tested positive for PCP at the time. The 3-year-old living with the couple was placed with relatives due to the positive drug test, the sheriff added.
Law enforcement believe Bassler groomed Campany into committing various incidents of child sexual abuse along with him.
Judge Stephen Mathew Whyte is overseeing both cases.
Campany is slated to appear in court for her arraignment on Oct. 20. Bassler has not had a court date scheduled in his case yet. On Wednesday, a public defender assigned to Bassler asked for, and received, permission to withdraw from his case.
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