A former high school teacher in Arizona was sentenced to serve 187 years in prison for having sex with two of his teenage students.
Cory Kapahulehua was sentenced after a jury convicted him on all 17 counts he faced at his trial in September, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. His charges include molestation of a child, sexual conduct with a minor, sexual abuse, aggravated assault and attempted sexual conduct.
Kapahulehua, 44, was found guilty following contact he had with two students that were 14 and 17 years old. Kapahulehua contact with the students began in August 2021 when he was working as a teacher at Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center (AAEC) in Mesa, Arizona.
AAEC is a public charter high school system and it has multiple campuses across Arizona, as well as an online program.
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The younger student told authorities that she and Kapahulehua had sex on school grounds. Kapahuelehua was let go from the school in January 2022, per the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, though the younger student said they continued to meet up for sexual encounters at a hotel near the school and a nearby parking garage.
Meanwhile, the older victim told authorities that she and Kapahulehua had sex at his apartment when she was underage.
Kapahulehua was arrested in 2023 after both of the former students came forward with their experiences.
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During Kapahulehua’s trial, prosecutors said that he organized a fundraiser to help the older victim raise money to move out of her parents’ home when she was 17. Once she turned 18, the victim moved into Kapahulehua’s apartment.
“This defendant used his position as a teacher to groom these students and take advantage of their trust,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said, per the release. “I’m proud of these girls for having the courage to come forward and stop him from victimizing any children ever again.”
