Former High School JROTC Instructor Indicted on Sexual Assault

A former JROTC Senior Army Instructor at Waimea High School was indicted on several sexual abuse offenses involving a former student.

Sixty-five-year-old Victor Aguilar, of Kalāheo, was taken into custody today, March 11, on five counts of second-degree sexual assault.

According to the indictment filed in 5th Circuit Court on March 10, Aguilar sexually assaulted a minor who was at least 16 years old while “contemporaneously acting in a professional capacity to instruct, advise, or supervise the minor…”

The assaults occurred several times throughout 2020, according to the court document.

Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar couldn’t answer questions regarding what evidence was acquired that led to Aguilar’s indictment.

“The evidence will come out in court,” Kollar said.

The initial investigation against Aguilar began after the Hawai‘i State Department of Education started looking into an alleged misuse of electronic devices issued to the former instructor by the DOE and the US Army.

The Kaua‘i Police Department was notified of the DOE investigation’s initial findings; detectives later obtained and executed search warrants for several DOE-issued electronic devices as well as electronic storage devices and a cellphone from Aguilar’s residence.

Kaua‘i Now reached out to the DOE about what initial findings were made that led to Aguilar’s arrest.

“As with any personnel-related investigation, to preserve the integrity of the process, the DOE cannot comment further or share details at this time,” the DOE stated to Kaua‘i Now in an email Thursday afternoon.

Aguilar resigned his position at Waimea High School after being notified of the initial findings of the DOE investigation. The Kaua‘i Police Department investigation remains ongoing and individuals who have information relevant to this case or to possible other acts of the accused are encouraged to contact Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce at 808-241-1681 or Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i at 808-246-8300.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Keola Siu is prosecuting the case. Bail is currently set in the amount of $1 million. An indictment is an accusation of charges returned by a grand jury and indicted persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.