LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The suspended Las Vegas Metropolitan Police sergeant facing two separate criminal cases is headed to trial early next year.
Kevin Menon entered a not guilty plea in a Clark County courtroom Wednesday to charges he orchestrated bogus arrests on the Las Vegas Strip.
His trial on oppression, battery on a protected person and subornation of perjury is scheduled for March 31.
Menon was later charged with possession of child sex abuse material found during the course of police searches for the first case.
Prosecutors Nick Portz and Christopher Hamner wanted to increase Menon's bail, arguing he's a flight risk and danger to the community because of the additional child sex abuse material charges.
Hamner called Menon a "pedophile" who kept close to 600 graphic images of underage girls on four devices as "his treasures." Prosecutors said the original bail amount was set before the child sex abuse material was found.
But Menon's defense attorney, Dominic Gentile, assured the court his client would not run, wears a GPS device and that he has possession of Menon's passport and weapons.
Gentile also said Menon works at his office every day and offered a character letter from a local rabbi for the court to review.
But prosecutors said the oppression case should not be "looked at in a vacuum."
Prosecutors also argued the validity of Menon's own character letter he submitted in his defense. In it, Menon said he had transferred to Harvard University. He also said he had been guaranteed admission to Harvard Medical School.
But prosecutors said an email from Harvard's Office of General Counsel revealed there are no records of Menon attending Harvard University or Harvard Medical School. He did, however, take one course through Harvard's extension school, which he dropped.
Prosecutors also called a transcript of Menon's grades found on his computer "a fake." They said it was a Word document that could be changed at will.
After hearing both arguments, District Court Judge Ronald Israel agreed with prosecutors and raised Menon's bail to $150,000, considering all the factors in the case. However, he allowed Menon to remain free on bail.
Menon's wife was seen crying in court after the ruling.
Menon was given 24 hours to meet the additional bail amount or face arrest. Gentile told Channel 13 Menon was on his way to post the new bail amount.
Gentile also said he was very happy with the outcome of the hearing, describing himself as doing "the Snoopy happy dance." The defense attorney said his client is a "good law enforcement officer" and asked that people wait for the trial to judge him.
