LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A teenager accused of recording a school classmate's sexual assault on video will be tried as an adult, a Clark County judge ruled.
An indictment obtained by Channel 13 charges Vaughn Griffith, 15, with one felony count of possession of a visual presentation depicting sexual conduct of a child.
Investigators with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department began looking into allegations against Griffith after they were contacted by the principal of the Alexander Dawson School, according to court documents. The principal told police a concerned parent had alerted her to an inappropriate video involving students on a school trip to Costa Rica in April 2025.
According to police reports, the video showed the sexual assault of one of Griffith's classmates. Investigators note Griffith was 14 years old at the time.
The victim told investigators the teens said not to tell anyone "because they would say they were playing around and that the victim enjoyed it," court records state.
As part of the investigation, officers were told the video could be found on Griffith's SnapChat account. After getting a warrant, detectives state that "a video was gathered as evidence which depicts the sexual assault."
District Court Judge Linda Marquis found the allegations against Griffith were "heinous and egregious," and ruled he should be tried as an adult.
This report does mention other students, but it remains unclear if any additional arrests have been made at this time.
Griffith is expected back in court on June 23 at 8:30 a.m.
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