Teacher accused of drugging and sexually abusing dozens of children as young as 2
Taji Hillson, 62, was arrested in Reno on July 2, a day after she penned an apology to a relative who accused her of sexually assaulting her 'throughout her childhood and adulthood,' according to a police report obtained by the Reno Gazette Journal.
The now-adult accuser filed a police report in April — proving text messages of the elementary school teacher admitting to 'drugging her and touching her inappropriately,' according to court documents.
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4 Roy Gomm Elementary School in Nevada.
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4 Roy Gomm Elementary, with a mural of a large tree and welcome sign.
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'The defendant admitted to giving her [the alleged victim] Benadryl to sedate her by sneaking it in her food,' then touching the girl while she slept, police wrote in their report.
When interviewed by police on June 25, Hillson allegedly admitted abusing the woman throughout her childhood, continuing when she returned home from college in 2014 — blaming it on how 'she never felt seen and desired to be close to another person,' the court docs said.
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Hillson admitted to inappropriately touching at least a dozen other children — including a 2-year-old neighbor at a local pool within the last few years, police said.
She has been charged in two of the cases, police said — stressing that none of those abused appear to be students.
'The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing,' Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said in a statement, saying that alleged victims include 'a toddler.'
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'I commend the extraordinary courage of the adult victim who came forward to report this abuse; a brave act that has allowed us to seek justice and protect others from harm.'
4 She has been charged in two of the cases, police said — stressing that none of those abused appear to be students.
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Hilson was employed at Roy Gomm Elementary School from 2022 through June 2025, according to the Reno Gazette. Police said there is no evidence that Hillson harmed any students while employed at the school, per the outlet.
4 'The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing,' Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said in a statement, saying that alleged victims include 'a toddler.'
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She was charged with one count of sexual assault of a child under 14, one count of sexual assault and three counts of lewdness with a child under 14, according to Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) records show.
Her bail was set at $5 million.
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