A 15-year-old student from Las Vegas has been charged as an adult in connection with a disturbing alleged gang sexual assault involving classmates during a school trip to Costa Rica, according to prosecutors.
Dominic Kim, a student at the Alexander Dawson School in Summerlin, was indicted on Friday on charges including possession of child sexual abuse material and child abuse, neglect or endangerment. Prosecutors allege he was one of at least four boys involved in the incident that took place during an April 2025 class excursion.
Authorities said the case centres on the alleged assault of a fellow teenager during the trip, with claims that the victim was repeatedly bullied and later attacked by the group. While the alleged sexual assault itself occurred outside the United States, officials noted that US charges relating to sexual assault could not be pursued due to jurisdictional limits.
Court documents and statements from prosecutors further allege that Kim later showed explicit videos of the incident to other students at an event held at the Meadows School, and also threatened those he shared the footage with, warning them against speaking out. Prosecutors added that the behaviour amounted to continued harassment of the victim long after the original incident.
A civil lawsuit filed by the victim’s family claims the teenager was further traumatised through the circulation of the videos. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Stacy Kollins told the court that Kim had “continued to torture” the victim through the material.
Another student, Vaughn Griffith, who was also involved in the case, was earlier certified as an adult and faces charges related to possessing visual material depicting child sexual conduct. He has pleaded not guilty. Kim has not yet entered a plea.
Reports indicate that at least two other students are also believed to have been involved, although they have not been charged due to jurisdictional complications. The alleged incident took place while the group was staying at a hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, during their school trip.
Kim was released on a $30,000 bail under strict conditions, including electronic monitoring, surrender of his passport, and a prohibition on contacting the victim or any minors. Both he and Griffith are scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on 14 April.
