A longtime Ventura County wrestling coach was arrested and charged with the alleged sexual assault of a young student.
Ronald Wilson, 72, had coached the wrestling team at Camarillo High School for nearly 30 years before he retired in 2020. He was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2022, according to the Ventura County Star. He then moved out of state to Timnath, Colorado.
In March 2025, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office was notified that an investigation into a sexual assault involving a minor and Wilson was underway.
Investigators discovered that while Wilson was working as a coach and teacher at Camarillo High School, he allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with a female student.
The sexual assault reportedly lasted from around 2014 to 2017 while the girl attended the school, authorities said. The assaults occurred both on and off campus.
On May 13, detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Timnath Police Department, and the SWAT team from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Wilson’s home in Colorado.
He was arrested for unlawful sexual intercourse (victim under 16, suspect over 21), lewd act upon a child (age 14-15), contact with a minor for a sex offense, meeting a minor for a lewd purpose and sodomy of a person under 18.
On May 15, he was charged by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office with:
- Five felony counts related to the alleged sexual assault of a student
- Unlawful sexual intercourse
- Lewd acts upon a child
- Sodomy of a person under 18
- Two counts of luring
- He also faces the special allegations of taking advantage of a position of trust and that the victim was vulnerable
No information on the victim was given other than she was under 16 years old when the alleged assaults began.
“Teachers and coaches are trusted authority figures who are expected to look after the well-being of our students,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “When they violate that trust and use their position to sexually assault minors, we will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law. We commend the now adult victim for having the courage, strength and resolve to come forward, and we encourage anyone else who may have been victimized or have knowledge of these alleged crimes to contact law enforcement right away.”
Authorities believe there may be other victims of Wilson who have not yet come forward. Before working at Camarillo High, Wilson had worked at Oxnard High School for 13 years.
“The Oxnard Union High School District is aware of the arrest and is fully cooperating with the investigation,” VCSO said. “They are committed to supporting the victim and ensuring a safe environment for all members of their school community.”
Anyone who may have been a victim or has information on the case is asked to contact Detective Rico Rinaldi at 805-384-4732 or email Rico.Rinaldi@ventura.org.
Anonymous tips can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or online at wetip.com.
