Ex-Nevada Prosecutor Gets Suspended Jail Term in Peppermill Lewdness Case

• Former Washoe County prosecutor sentenced after public lewdness incident.
• Peppermill security video allegedly shows indecent exposure in valet area.
• Judge suspends 180-day jail term with counseling, sobriety conditions.

A former Nevada prosecutor caught literally with his pants down at a Reno casino has been handed a suspended jail sentence for open and gross lewdness.

Kenneth Ching was caught in flagrante with an unnamed woman at the Peppermill Casino in the early hours of Aug. 30, 2025. Law enforcement responded to reports that two individuals were allegedly engaging in sexual activity in public at the casino. Officers found Ching with his zipper undone and his crotch exposed, according to court documents.

Ching pleaded guilty to both counts in Reno Justice Court and was sentenced by Judge Scott Pearson to 180 days in jail, suspended on the condition that he remain law-abiding for one year, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and provide proof that he has undertaken individual or group counseling. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, a requirement he has already fulfilled.

Legal Elite

Until his arrest, Ching served as a deputy district attorney for Washoe County, which includes Reno. He was also a former law professor who received awards for his teaching and scholarship and was named among Nevada’s Legal Elite five times by Nevada Business Magazine.

But on the morning of Aug. 30, he was captured on security video in the Peppermill’s valet area engaging in what court filings describe as “excessive indecent exposure,” in full view of casino guests.

The woman involved told police the sexual activity was consensual. She was also arrested, though it is unclear whether she was charged. She said she met Ching earlier that evening at Chapel Tavern, a local cocktail bar. Although Ching suggested getting a room at the Peppermill, she declined.

Security footage reportedly shows the woman pinned against a door as Ching, with his shorts and underwear pulled down, thrusts his hips in a sexual manner while casino patrons walk past.

Commitment to Change

Ching apologized for his behavior Monday, telling the court he had been sober for four months and 27 days since his arrest.

“I am truly sorry and deeply ashamed,” Ching said, as reported by The Reno Gazette-Journal. “I am appalled at my own actions in this matter. Beyond acknowledging the seriousness of my situation, I feel the only meaningful response I can give is genuine and sustained commitment to change.”