Daijiworld Media Network - Reno
Reno, Jul 14: A former substitute physical education teacher in Reno, Nevada, Taji Hillson, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse following allegations from a female relative. Arrested on July 2, the 62-year-old faces serious charges, including one count of sexual assault against a minor under 14, one count of sexual assault, and three counts of lewdness with a minor under 14, as reported by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office.
Hillson, who worked at Roy Gomm Elementary School from September 2022 to June 2025, reportedly admitted to drugging the victim and inappropriately touching numerous children over the years. The allegations came to light when an adult female relative reported the abuse to authorities on April 30, claiming that Hillson had drugged her with Benadryl and sexually abused her for decades, starting in childhood and continuing into adulthood.
The relative provided police with text messages in which Hillson acknowledged her actions. Following this, four additional complaints were submitted, detailing further inappropriate behavior towards other children. In a police interview, Hillson confessed to drugging and harassing her cousin and admitted to similar actions involving a neighbor's two-year-old child at a public pool.
Hillson's bail has been set at $5 million, and her next court hearing is scheduled for July 22, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.