Man arrested at Burning Man site faces charges of sexual assault, false imprisonment
A man arrested by Pershing County Sheriff's deputies at the Burning Man site on Thursday faces charges of sexual assault and false imprisonment.
Oleg Gennadievich Ivanov currently is in custody at the Pershing County Jail with a bail set at $152,500, according to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen.
Sexual assault is a category A felony, the most serious type of felony under Nevada law. Sexual assault is defined as when one person forces sexual penetration upon another under Nevada law.
False imprisonment, a category B felony, is the confinement or detention of someone without legal authority.
The victim provided an account of the incident and a description of the suspect, as well as the suspect's location.
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Deputies interviewed Ivanov, who cooperated during the investigation.
Burning Man officially begins at midnight, Sunday, though Burning Man Project staff, volunteers and artists have been on site already for a month.
It is unclear whether the suspect or the victim are affiliated with the Burning Man Project. Law enforcement officials did not release any additional information about the suspect or victim.
Burning Man enlists volunteers trained in sexual assault services to provide support to victims at the event. Black Rock Ranger volunteers are working with the victim and also with the sheriff's office.
The Bureau of Land Management also contributed to the investigation. Ivanov's arrest is the first arrest at the Burning Man site this year, according to Allen.
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This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Burning Man: Man arrested at site charged with sexual assault
