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Ex-Mesa teacher sentenced to 100+ years in prison for sexual misconduct with students: MCAO

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Updated  October 29, 2025 7:12am MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix
Former Arizona teacher sentenced to 187 years in prison

Former Arizona teacher sentenced to 187 years in prison

Cory Kapahulehua, a 44-year-old man who once worked as a teacher at the Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center in Mesa, has been sentenced to 187 years in prison, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

The Brief

    • A man who once worked as a teacher at the Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center, Mesa campus has been sentenced to 187 years in prison, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
    • The man was identified in a statement as 44-year-old Cory Kapahulehua.
    • "This defendant used his position as a teacher to groom these students and take advantage of their trust," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, in the statement.

PHOENIX - Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say a man who once worked as a teacher in the East Valley has been sentenced for sexual misconduct that involved students.

What we know:

Per a statement released on Oct. 28, 44-year-old Cory Kapahulehua was sentenced to 187 years in prison for having a sexual relationship with his students.

"Both victims, a 14-year-old girl and [a] 17-year-old girl, met Kapahulehua in August 2021 while he was teaching at Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center, Mesa campus," read a portion of the statement.

Dig deeper:

Officials with MCAO said the younger victim "reported having sex with the defendant on school grounds until the defendant was dismissed from his job in January of 2022," and that subsequent encounters happened off-campus, including at a hotel near the school and at a parking garage located nearby.

As for the older victim, investigators said she testified that the defendant brought her to his apartment for sexual encounters on multiple occasions, at a time when the victim was still underage.

"At one point, the defendant started an online fundraiser to help move her out of her parent's home at age 17. They eventually moved in together after she turned 18," officials with MCAO wrote. "They eventually moved in together after she turned 18."

By the numbers:

According to MCAO's statement, a jury convicted Kapahulehua on 17 felony charges, including:

  • One count of child molestation (A.R.S. 13-1410A)
  • Seven counts of sexual conduct with a minor (A.R.S. 13-1405A)
  • Two counts of sexual abuse (A.R.S. 13-1404A)
  • Five counts of sexual conduct with a minor-position of trust (A.R.S. 13-1405A)
  • One count of attempted sexual conduct with a minor-position of trust (A.R.S. 13-1405A)
  • One count of aggravated assault (A.R.S. 13-1204B)

The sentences, according to court documents, will run consecutively to each other.

Cory Kapahulehua (Courtesy: Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry)

Cory Kapahulehua (Courtesy: Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry)

What they're saying:

"This defendant used his position as a teacher to groom these students and take advantage of their trust," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, in the statement. "I’m proud of these girls for having the courage to come forward and stop him from victimizing any children ever again." 

The Source

  • Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

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