Teens Will Not Face Charges in Field Trip Assault

Two of four Las Vegas-area teens allegedly involved in a sexual assault during a 2025 school trip to Costa Rica will not face charges.

The case continues for 15-year-old Vaughn Griffith, charged as an adult, and one other teen facing juvenile charges, with prosecutors seeking to move that case to adult court as well.

The incident occurred last April during a field trip organized by The Alexander Dawson School. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said the assault involved multiple eighth-grade boys and another student. Investigators believe Griffith and the other teen facing charges possessed video evidence of the assault, while the two not facing charges may not have.

Because the alleged assault occurred outside the U.S., Nevada prosecutors cannot pursue sexual assault charges. Costa Rican authorities, including the Delegacion Policial Quepos, stated they were unaware of the incident.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Griffith in January on charges of possessing visual material depicting sexual conduct involving a minor. Police said Griffith, 14 at the time, recorded and participated in the assault. Court records describe the video as depicting a graphic and violent assault, including threats and physical harm, with Griffith and other students laughing during the incident.

The video evidence remains sealed.

Clark County District Court Judge Linda Marquis ordered Griffith charged as an adult in October. In her order, Marquis cited the severity of the offense and Griffith’s role in recording and preserving the video on Snapchat.

Griffith’s attorney, Joshua Judd, disputed the adult certification, citing a psychologist’s evaluation recommending juvenile rehabilitation and noting no evidence that Griffith is a sexual predator. Griffith pleaded not guilty at a court appearance last Thursday, with a hearing scheduled for June 23.

The incident came to light in May 2025, when the victim’s mother reported the alleged assault to school officials. Investigators said the victim initially did not report the incident out of fear of getting other students in trouble.