A Boulder City resident who is also a special education teacher sexually abused a child for more than two years, according to a heavily redacted arrest report.
Douglas G. Trinkle was arrested March 12 by Boulder City police on suspicion of statutory sexual seduction by a person over age 21, lewdness committed by a person over 18 on a child 14 or 15 years old, sexual assault against a child under 16, and two counts of child neglect or abuse.
According to a declaration of arrest report released Friday, Trinkle, 52, “did engage in sexual acts with the victim as early as August 6, 2023.”
In an interview with Boulder City investigators in March, the child said that they received gifts from Trinkle and that he “expresses his love” for the child, the report said. The child also told police that Trinkle said he had “feelings” for the child during a walk to a cemetery in Boulder City, according to the report.
Trinkle remained jailed at the Clark County Detention Center without bail, according to jail and court records.
Nevada Department of Education records show that Trinkle has worked for the Clark County School District since 2012, mostly as a special education instructor. The school district acknowledged in March that an employee by that name was arrested by the Boulder City Police Department. School district officials also released an email that was sent to parents by the principal at Cimarron-Memorial High School in northwest Las Vegas.
“An employee assigned to our school was arrested on charges related to sexual assault against a minor,” Cimarron-Memorial Principal Colin McNaught said in an email to parents in March. “We have been informed that the allegations do not involve any students on our campus,” the email also said.
Trinkle has worked as a teacher at Cimarron-Memorial since the 2023-24 school year, records show. He is listed as an autism specialist.
The message said the employee will not be allowed on the high school’s campus. School district officials did not immediately respond Friday night to a message that requested Trinkle’s employment status with the district.
In a March statement, Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea said “the incident is not connected” with the suspect’s employment.
Trinkle, who won a national award from the National Association of Special Education Teachers while working at Variety Elementary School, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 16, according to court records.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
