SPANISH FORK, UT, (August 05, 2025) - Utah County prosecutors filed additional charges on Monday against Adrian Villar, a 66-year-old former elementary school janitor, following an investigation into new allegations of child sexual abuse.
Utah County prosecutors have filed additional charges against Adrian Villar, a former elementary school janitor, after investigating new allegations of child sexual abuse.
Villar now faces two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one count of obstruction of justice. These charges were brought after a fourth victim came forward with claims dating back to 2016.
According to the new victim, who was seven years old at the time, the abuse occurred while he worked as a student lunch helper. The boy said he was helping janitors clean tables when Villar asked him to clean a mess in a bathroom sink. The victim followed Villar into the bathroom, where the abuse took place. The victim also reported that Villar threatened to kill his parents and warned it would be the child’s fault if he told anyone.
Authorities initially arrested Villar in 2018 after two boys, aged 8 and 11, accused him of sexual abuse in 2017 while he was employed at Sierra Bonita Elementary School in Spanish Fork. School officials placed Villar on administrative leave during that investigation. He pleaded not guilty, and the case remains ongoing, with a trial scheduled for mid-August.
In 2023, prosecutors arrested Villar again after a 7-year-old girl reported sexual assault occurring during the 2017–2018 school year at Santaquin Elementary. However, that case was later dismissed without prejudice.
To date, Villar has not been convicted of any sexual abuse charges.
BLURRED LINES
School employees have a vital responsibility to uphold professionalism and create a secure, trusting environment for students. Staff members must maintain ethical boundaries that safeguard children's development during their formative years. Violating these boundaries through sexual abuse can have severe and lasting consequences.
Sexual abuse refers to any inappropriate conduct between a professional and an individual under their care or supervision. Those in authoritative positions often work with people in vulnerable situations, making any form of misconduct a betrayal of trust and, in many cases, a criminal act.
"Child sex abuse allegations in schools require swift and thorough investigation to ensure the safety of all students and hold responsible parties accountable," said Rebecca Setlow of Fidelity Legal.
Many sexual predators employ a systematic grooming process to manipulate and exploit their victims. This pattern begins with establishing trust and identifying vulnerable individuals, often those seeking approval or feeling isolated from peers.
Predators gradually normalize inappropriate behavior through incremental boundary violations, moving from seemingly innocent interactions to increasingly explicit content and contact.
"They blurred the lines on purpose — so you wouldn't know when to say no," Setlow emphasized.
Victims of abuse frequently face deep psychological challenges. Many struggle with confusion, guilt, shame, or anger as they process the violation of trust. Anxiety disorders, depression, and difficulty with intimacy are common among survivors, often impacting their ability to trust professionals in the future. In some cases, they suffer from sexual dysfunction or an increased risk of suicide. Healing from such trauma requires compassionate support and meaningful validation.
REGAINING CONTROL
Despite the severe nature of sexual abuse by teachers, reporting rates remain alarmingly low. Victims often fear retaliation, worry that their claims will be dismissed, or may not fully understand the extent of the harm until much later. The significant power imbalance makes it especially difficult to expose misconduct, leaving many to suffer in silence.
Research indicates that serial sexual offenders often have more than 100 victims—most of whom never come forward without realizing they are not alone,” Setlow explained. “When one person reports abuse, it frequently empowers others to speak out, revealing years, sometimes decades, of repeated offenses.”
Victims should know they are not to blame and have options, including filing civil lawsuits or reporting incidents to law enforcement.
Setlow added, “Survivors often have the option to keep their identities confidential while still holding perpetrators accountable.” While legal action cannot erase the harm, it can offer financial compensation to help victims rebuild their lives.
Trust forms the foundation of professional relationships, and when that trust is violated, accountability is essential.
Setlow concluded, “An attorney works tirelessly to uncover hidden documents, unreported complaints, and other evidence exposing systemic cover-ups. Ultimately, the best attorneys provide survivors with something they were denied for too long—control.”
If you or a loved one has been involved in an incident similar to the one described in this article, national legal analyst Rebecca Setlow is available for a free consultation. Please use the contact information on this page to get in touch.
(Rebecca Setlow, General Counsel at Fidelity Legal, is a national legal analyst for The Legal Advocate. The Legal Advocate can and does use quotes from prior interviews with our analysts for our news articles. If you would like to contact Ms. Rebecca Setlow to help you, please call 866-805-9260 or use the submission box found on this page. Legal analysts quoted may or may not be licensed in your state).