Las Vegas Teenager Charged as Adult in Costa Rica Gang Rape Case
A teenager from Las Vegas has become the second student from an exclusive private school to be charged as an adult in connection with a disturbing alleged gang rape that occurred during a school field trip to Costa Rica. Dominic Kim, aged 15, is accused of being among at least four students from the Alexander Dawson School involved in the sexual assault of another teenager last year, according to prosecutors.
Graphic Video and Threats Alleged
Prosecutors state that Kim allegedly showed a graphic video of the gang rape to other children while attending an event at the Meadows School. Furthermore, a civil lawsuit filed by the victim's family claims that Kim threatened to kill the students he showed the video to if they disclosed the incident to anyone. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Stacy Kollins informed a judge that Kim 'continued to torture' the victim by sharing the videos long after the assault took place.
On Friday, Kim was indicted on charges including possession of child sexual abuse material and child abuse, neglect, or endangerment, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His defense attorney, Josh Tomsheck, argued against charging Kim as an adult, stating, 'I’m not disputing he did dumb stuff by showing videos, but his intent behind it wasn’t what the state is trying to proclaim.'
Background of the Case and Other Accused
This case follows the earlier certification of Vaughn Griffith, also 15, as an adult in January. Griffith faces charges of possessing a visual presentation depicting the sexual conduct of a child, a category B felony that carries a potential prison sentence of one to six years. It remains unclear which specific teens are believed to have carried out the sexual assaults, as officials note that the teens cannot be charged in the United States for the sexual assault allegations due to the incident occurring outside the country.
According to police reports, Griffith, Kim, and at least two other eighth-grade students engaged in relentless bullying of an anonymous classmate during the trip in April 2025. The alleged bullying escalated when the victim was stripped naked and his clothes were thrown onto a balcony at Hotel Manuel Antonio. Two days later, the boys reportedly pinned the victim down on a bed, pulled down his pants and underwear, and sexually assaulted him, with threats to cut off his penis if he resisted.
Details of the Assault and School Response
The victim informed police that he had been bullied by the group previously and did not consent to the interaction, as reported by KTNV. Griffith's indictment provides a harrowing account of the 'graphic and violent sexual assault,' captured in a two-minute and 16-second video that he allegedly posted on Snapchat and saved in his 'Memories' section. The video reportedly shows the victim being held down on a bed, visibly distressed, as he was sexually assaulted with objects including a flute, a Chapstick tube, and toothpaste while crying and screaming in pain, with his attackers laughing.
After the assault, the victim confided in his stepmother, who then reported the incident to school principal Roxanne Stansbury. In January, lawyers for The Alexander Dawson School acknowledged the 'serious allegations involving male middle school students' during the Costa Rica trip, stating, 'We take any such allegations incredibly seriously and promptly reported them to law enforcement once brought to our attention.' They added that due to the involvement of middle school students, they could not comment further. The school, which charges $32,500 per year, promotes itself as a community that 'exhibits empathy, integrity, humility, and kindness' on its website.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Police have indicated that at least two other individuals have not been charged for their alleged roles in the incident due to jurisdictional challenges. As of April 4, Delegación Policial Quepos in Costa Rica was unaware of any sexual assault accusations. Evidence in the case has been sealed, and the FBI confirmed that its Las Vegas Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force participated in the investigation, according to NewsNation.
Kim posted a $30,000 bail before being transferred to District Court, with release conditions including high-level monitoring, surrender of his passport, and no contact with the victim or minors. Both Kim and Griffith are scheduled for arraignment on April 14. Griffith has pleaded not guilty, while Kim has not yet entered a plea. The Daily Mail reached out to Kim's attorney, the Clark County District Attorney's Office, the Meadows School, and the Alexander Dawson School for comment.
