Man found guilty of sex trafficking, flees

A Reno man found guilty last night of sexual exploitation of a child under 16, sexual exploitation of a child under 14 and child abuse involving sexual exploitation has fled the scene. Reginald Ellis (dob 12/9/86) was last seen Wednesday evening at approximately 5:30 while awaiting a verdict in his jury trial. Despite an objection from the prosecution, the suspect was previously released on his own recognizance by the Reno Justice Court in January of last year.

Ellis was arrested in June 2022 after a detective with the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) team was contacted about a 16-year-old girl who had been admitted to a local hospital. During the investigation into the victim, it was discovered that Ellis was prostituting and beating the girl. Detectives also learned that the suspect was grooming the victim’s 14-year-old sister to be sexually exploited as well.

If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Reginald Ellis, please contact the Reno Police Department’s non-emergency hotline at (775) 334-2121