Las Vegas man faces kidnapping, sex assault charges

A Las Vegas man has been charged with kidnapping and sexual assault after a woman said she was attacked at knifepoint in a desert lot in North Las Vegas.

Lee Banks, 48, was arrested Feb. 13 by North Las Vegas police. An arrest report for Banks said a woman told police she briefly met with a man that day to smoke marijuana and then go to a casino, but the man instead took her to a desert lot and pulled out a knife. The woman said the man told her he was now her pimp. She said she was then sexually assaulted at knifepoint. She said she bit the man on the face to fend him off.

Police said they then located Banks in a nearby casino. On him they found what appeared to be a bite mark on his face and a knife that matched the description provided by the woman, police said.

Banks denied any wrongdoing.

“I asked Lee to be specific about who he came in contact with starting from 2:30 p.m. today until the time that he came into contact with me and he said nobody,” police said. “I asked Lee if he knew (the accuser) and he said he did not. I asked Lee how he got that redness on the left side of his neck and he said he got it from shaving.”

Banks is charged with kidnapping, sex assault and assault with a deadly weapon. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for March 17 in North Las Vegas Justice Court.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.