Korean American teen accused in school trip gang rape case sent to adult court

A Korean American teenager accused of taking part in a gang rape will face trial in adult court after a Nevada judge ruled the alleged crime was “extremely serious, brutal and deeply shocking,” according to court records.

Judge Dee Butler of the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada, decided on March 5 to transfer Dominic Kim(15) from juvenile court to adult court. The ruling stems from allegations involving students from The Alexander Dawson School, a well-known private school in Las Vegas.

The judge said the seriousness of the alleged offense justified moving the case to adult court.

According to court filings and local media reports, Kim and three other Dawson School students are accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate during a school trip to Costa Rica last year.

Investigators say the suspects recorded the incident and stored the footage on a social media account. Authorities allege the video was later shared with other students.

Prosecutors also say the suspects threatened the victim with releasing the video publicly if she reported the incident to authorities.

Dominic Kim has been charged with three felony counts, including sexual assault of a minor and possession of child sexual exploitation material, according to court documents.

Legal experts note that transferring a juvenile case to adult court significantly increases potential penalties if the defendant is convicted.

Under Nevada law, judges may move a juvenile case to adult court when the alleged offense involves particularly serious or violent conduct.

In her ruling, Judge Butler said the allegations were “extremely serious, brutal and deeply shocking,” according to court proceedings.

The school trip gang rape case will now proceed through the adult criminal court system as prosecutors pursue felony charges related to the alleged incident.

BY KYEONGJUN KIM  [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]