As the Carson City Sheriff race heats up, candidate Donald Gibson’s past associations have come under scrutiny during his campaign. At a recent community forum, Gibson emphasized his extensive experience in law enforcement, stating, “I’ve had my fair share of sexual assault investigations. Which I was the lead investigator on, up and until we turned it over to detectives. In some cases, I solved the crime myself.” Watch the forum here.
However, Gibson’s campaign faced challenges over the summer when he responded to allegations on social media. The allegations involved his past friendship with Gabriel Miles, who in 2014 pled guilty to statutory sexual seduction.
Gibson confirmed that Miles’ family had resided on his property for several months. He explained, “About a year and a half after they moved from our property, I learned information about the father’s past involving a relationship with a teenage girl when he was in his twenties. I confronted him, and after he acknowledged that information, my family chose to distance ourselves.” Despite this, Gibson admitted they continued to play softball together, although not closely. Furthermore, a printing company owned by Miles and his wife donated shirts to his campaign.
“Let me be absolutely clear: I do not support or condone criminal conduct of any kind, especially crimes involving children,” Gibson asserted. Miles confirmed the past friendship but disputed some details, such as playing sports together, stating, “I actually don’t play softball.”
These revelations are not new to Carson Now reporter Kelsey Penrose, who learned about Gibson’s connection to Miles three years ago. Her investigations into Miles’s involvement with youth sports despite his record led to several sources claiming Gibson knew of Miles’ status as a sex offender while hosting him.
Penrose noted that Miles allegedly used an incorrect address on the sex offender registry, which is classified as a felony. She reported this to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office but received no follow-up. “I think that a lot of people have ignored this,” Penrose remarked, pondering the reasons for the lack of response.
Gibson remains firm on his statements, though Penrose questions his suitability for the sheriff position, expressing concern over his potential views on adult-child relationships.
