Utah County school janitor charged with sexually abusing a 4th student

A Santaquin man already accused of sexually abusing students at an elementary school is now facing new charges after another alleged victim was identified.

A Santaquin man already accused of sexually abusing students at an elementary school is now facing new charges after another alleged victim was identified. (mehaniq41, Adobe Stock)


Save Story

SPANISH FORK — An elementary school janitor accused of sexually abusing three students a few years ago has now been charged with abusing a fourth student.

Adrian Villar, 55, of Santaquin, was charged Tuesday in 4th District Court with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.

A boy who was 7 years old in 2016 and was working at his elementary school as a student lunch worker recently told investigators that Villar inappropriately touched him, according to charging documents.

"(He) disclosed one day he was working in the lunchroom and (Villar), who was the head janitor, told him someone had made a mess in the bathroom sink and (he) needed him to help clean it up," the charges state.

When they got to the bathroom, however, Villar "closed it off so no one would come in while it was being cleaned" and then sexually assaulted the boy, according to the charges. "After (Villar) stopped, he told (the boy) that if he told anyone what happened (he) would kill (the boy's) parents and it would be his fault."

Villar is already facing charges filed in 2018 of two counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and lewdness involving a child, a class A misdemeanor. He is accused in that case of inappropriately touching two boys at Sierra Bonita Elementary School in Spanish Fork in 2017. That criminal case is still ongoing due to numerous delays. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11.

Villar was also charged in 2023 with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and lewdness involving a child, a class A misdemeanor. That case was dismissed last year.

Most recent Police & Courts stories

Related topics

UtahPolice & CourtsUtah County
Pat Reavy interned with KSL NewsRadio in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL NewsRadio, Deseret News or KSL.com since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.
KSL.com Beyond Series
KSL.com Beyond Business

KSL Weather Forecast

KSL Weather Forecast
Play button