A 15-year-old former eighth-grader from a private Las Vegas school has been indicted and charged as an adult for allegedly recording a graphic sexual assault of a classmate during a school field trip to Costa Rica in April 2025.
Vaughn Griffith, described in court records as a golf champion, class president, and high-achieving student at the Alexander Dawson School, pleaded not guilty in Clark County District Court on January 29, 2026. He faces one felony count of possession of a visual presentation depicting sexual conduct of a child, stemming from videos police say he filmed and stored on Snapchat.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and grand jury reports, the incident occurred at Hotel Manuel Antonio during a week-long paid excursion for middle school students from April 3 to April 11, 2025. Police identified four teenagers involved, with Griffith accused of recording the assault.
Court documents detail a six-second clip showing the victim lying on a bed in distress as boys allegedly repositioned him, followed by laughter, and a longer, more than two-minute video depicting what investigators described as a “graphic and violent sexual assault.”
The victim, then 14 years old, is heard yelling in pain, being punched, and pleading for the assault to stop. The boys laugh throughout, with one urging the victim to fight back while Griffith allegedly threatened to cut off his penis if he resisted.
The assault reportedly included the use of a flute, causing the victim to cry and scream. The videos reportedly end with boys commenting that the act was “clearly sexual” and an “assault,” before the camera turns to show Griffith’s face.
The victim, reportedly bullied by the group before the trip, did not immediately report the incident, fearing trouble for the others. An earlier April 5 incident involved students entering his room, undressing him, and throwing his clothes onto a balcony.
The investigation began on May 17, 2025, after the school’s principal questioned students following reports of a video showing “spanking” during the trip. The victim’s mother then contacted the principal to report the sexual assault, prompting police involvement.
On October 7, 2025, Clark County District Court Judge Linda Marquis ordered Griffith’s case transferred to adult court, calling his alleged actions, filming, creating, and preserving the video, “heinous and egregious.” She noted that despite Griffith’s supportive family, excellent grades, leadership roles, and athletic achievements, the severity of the offense and community safety concerns outweighed juvenile rehabilitation options.
A psychological evaluation by licensed psychologist Greg Harder recommended juvenile handling, emphasizing rehabilitation over punishment and finding no evidence that Griffith was a sexual predator. However, the judge ruled otherwise.
Griffith was detained at the Clark County Detention Center on July 29, 2025, before posting $20,000 bail on October 10. Release conditions include high-level electronic monitoring, limited internet access for school only, no contact with minors except a sibling, avoidance of the victim, the surrender of his passport, and no further trouble.
The next hearing is on June 23.
The evidence video remains sealed by court order.
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