A Homer Middle School teacher was arrested last week on charges of sexual assault and burglary.
Charles Kent Rininger, 38, was arrested March 12 by Alaska State Troopers. He is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, two counts of third-degree sexual assault and one count of first-degree burglary.
According to an affidavit included in charging documents, on March 11 Rininger entered the complainant’s home to return an item she had asked for back. The woman said he appeared “heavily intoxicated” and proceeded to make unwanted sexual comments and physical contact with a dinner guest. The guest became uncomfortable and left the residence, after which Rininger became aggressive toward the complainant and began “advancing on her in a sexual nature,” according to the affidavit. The woman said Rininger sexually assaulted her and that at one point he pushed her face into his chest so much that she was fighting to get away because she couldn’t breathe. She told officers that she believed he would rape her if she did not stop the assault, the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, the woman also told officers that about two months prior to the incident Rininger came into her house uninvited and sexually assaulted her while she was lying in bed. When she resisted, she said, he proceeded to trash her cabin, putting holes in her closet door and breaking chairs, her table and television set, according to the affidavit. She told officers that when she confronted him about the situation, he blamed his behavior on being “black out” drunk. She chose not to report the incident to police.
As of Tuesday, Rininger was listed as a physical education teacher on the Homer Middle School staff directory for the 2024-2025 school year. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Homer News. KDLL 91.9 FM on Monday reported that Rininger had been placed on administrative leave while the district investigates the allegations.
As of Tuesday, Rininger was incarcerated at Wildwood Pretrial Facility; his bail is set at $100,000. He is scheduled to appear in the Kenai courthouse for a preliminary hearing on Friday, March 21. No attorney was listed for Rininger in court documents.
Reach reporter Chloe Pleznac at chloe.pleznac@homernews.com.
