Tag

sex assault

Aurora man who sexually assaulted 2 girls sentenced to 60 years to life in prison

An Aurora man who sexually assaulted two young daughters of women with whom he had relationships was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.

Jeremy Hasani Scott

Arapahoe District Court Judge John Scipione sentenced Jeremy Hasani Scott, 44, after a jury found him guilty in February of all counts related to the assaults on the two girls. The sentence is indeterminate: After Scott has served his time, he will be evaluated to ensure he is no longer a danger to the community. If he is not rehabilitated, he can spend the rest of his life in the Department of Corrections.

Scott began assaulting the first girl when she was 9 years old, in 2008. That abuse occurred until she was 12 years old. Scott began assaulting the second girl in 2019, when she was 10 years old.

“After a pattern of sexually assaulting 9-year-old and a 10-year-old girl for years from a position of trust, this serial predator chose to force his survivors onto the stand to face accusations that they were liars. Yes, of course it is his right to go to trial, but when given the choice between taking responsibility for his outrageous conduct, Jeremy Scott once again chose himself over his victims,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “The girls are to be commended for their courage. He is to be condemned for his conduct. Scott will have plenty of time to dwell on his misdeeds, while we remain safe and free. This is why we build prisons.”

Both girls, their supporters and families gave emotional impact statements to the judge during the sentencing arguments on Aug. 27.

Scott “raised me, but he also hurt me. It’s hard for me to sleep at night,” the second girl said. “I am strong because I know that am more than a victim – I am a survivor of the very terrible things that man did to me.”

The first girl, now an adult, also addressed the court.

“For all those years he had the power, but now I am taking control. Life is too short to stay in the past,” she said. “Bottled-up fear continued to expand because my voice was silenced … I never thought I would be taken seriously. Until now.”

“This defendant could have been a hero for these girls. They loved him, and he had a role in their lives,” said Managing Chief Deputy District Attorney Leora Joseph, who prosecuted the case with Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo. “But he made other choices and abused his position of power and their trust in him.”

Judge Scipione said that “two very brave young women testified in this case” and their credibility was “on a level that this court has never seen.” He agreed with the prosecution sentencing argument that each girl deserved her own sentence. “It would be a slap in the face otherwise,” he said.

This is the sentence he handed down:

• Count 1 – Sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (F3): 30 years to life, consecutive to Count 3
• Count 2 — Sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (F3): 16 years to life, concurrent to Counts 4 and 5
• Count 3 — Sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (F3): 30 years to life, consecutive to Count 1
• Count 4 — Sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (F3): 16 years to life, concurrent to Counts 2 and 5
• Count 5 — — Sex assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (F3): 16 years to life, concurrent to Counts 2 and 4

Former teacher going to jail for assaulting student in Aurora

A former high school teacher will spend time behind bars for sexually assaulting one of his students.

Gabriel Alsina

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Gabriel Alsina, 37, to 90 days in jail followed by five years of sex offender intensive supervised probation. Alsina pleaded guilty June 8 to one count of attempted sex assault on a child by one in a position of trust, a Class 5 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Alsina must register as a sex offender and surrender his teaching license.

“Teachers are charged with protecting our most precious assets, our children,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “Yet this teacher turned his back on that community trust and used his position to abuse a child he was charged with protecting. There is no excuse for what he did.”

Alsina was the drama teacher at Vista Peak High School in Aurora when he met his victim, who was his student. He assaulted her in the school building, in his car and in his home over a period of two years.

“Adults should never manipulate children and take advantage of them, but he took advantage of her for his own ego,” said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Gramer during sentencing arguments. She asked the judge to impose 90 days jail, the maximum allowed under the plea agreement. “Parents send their kids to school thinking their children are going to be safe. The teacher should not be one of the things they are afraid of.”

The victim and her parents also spoke before the judge during the Aug. 10 hearing.

The defendant “posed as a concerned teacher who wanted to help her,” the victim’s mother said. “But he played on her weaknesses, and he is a pedophile.”

“I was sexually abused by a teacher who wheedled his way into my heart,” the victim said. “His hands were constantly touching me in ways no adult should be touching a child. A teacher meant to protect me was the one hurting me.”

“I silenced myself for a predator … Now I want justice for the little girl he hurt.”

Judge Whitaker chastised the defendant and praised the courage of his victim in coming forward.

“When you are dealing with a teacher and a student, there a line, and that line cannot be crossed,” she told the defendant. “It was your job to draw that line in the sand.”

To the victim she added: “You did the right thing in reporting it. I hope you are in a place you can start moving past that.”

She imposed the maximum jail time of 90 days.

Sex offender gets 12 years for assaulting girls in Centennial pool

A registered sex offender who assaulted two girls in the swimming pool of a townhome complex in Centennial was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Aaron Schupp

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Ben Leutwyler sentenced Aaron Schupp, 27, on July 27 via Webex. Schupp pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

“Let this be another reminder about the ongoing risk that sex offenders pose in our neighborhoods. This vile predator is beyond rehabilitation. Registration appears to be insufficient to protect our kids from the likes of him,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “Schupp should be required to wear a sign that announces to everyone ‘I molest little girls.’ Only in prison will he be incapable of victimizing more children.”

On June 5, 2019, Schupp and a coworker were in the pool. They began playing a game in the water with two 12-year-old girls. During the game Schupp sexually assaulted both girls.

The girls and a bystander reported what happened.

“This outcome meant that two children did not have to relive a terrible crime on the stand, in front of strangers,” said Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Gramer, who prosecuted the case. “The victims are protected and they are getting the help they need. Although we asked for 15 years, they are happy the perpetrator is being punished for what he did to them.”

Repeat child rapist sentenced to prison

An Aurora man received a sentence of 12 years to life in prison for raping two Aurora girls in 2018.

Ble Kore

Arapahoe District Court Judge Andrew Baum sentenced Ble Ghislain Kore, 25, after a jury convicted him Dec. 10, 2019. He was found guilty of sexual assault – use of force (Class 3 felony) and sexual assault – overcoming a victim’s will (Class 4 felony). On Feb. 27 Baum imposed a sentence of 12 years to life on the Class 3, and 6 years to life on the Class 4, to be served concurrently.

“Kore is the Webster’s definition of ‘predator.’ He went to a school looking for innocent victims to satisfy his sexual urges. He plucked one girl, then another, off the street. And he raped both of them. Same day,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “No sentence would have been too long for what he did. I am impressed with the courageous victims here. Without them, we may not have been able to hold this repeat rapist accountable.”

On Sept. 13, 2018, the defendant approached a juvenile walking home from Overland High School. He approached the victim saying to get into his car, as he knew who she was and that he had someone watching her mother. Concerned for her mom, she got in the car and he drove to the guest parking lot of her apartment complex where he raped her. She was scared because he knew where she lived.

Later that afternoon, the defendant drove up to another juvenile walking in the parking lot at Overland High School and asked for her phone number. When she tried to walk away, he demanded she get in his car. He drove her to another parking lot near the school and raped her.

The two victims did not know the defendant or each other.

The Aurora Police Department investigated the incidents and connected them due to the similar descriptions of the car and defendant. In addition, the DNA of the defendant was found on both juveniles.

“This defendant is the monster of every parent’s nightmares,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo, who prosecuted the case with Senior Deputy District Attorney Jake Adkins. “He specifically targeted children.”

Jaramillo asked for maximum sentences served consecutively, making the prison time 18 years to life.

“Both of these girls are survivors – they are brave and courageous,” she said in her sentencing argument. “Trial is a horrible thing for them to go through, and these girls deserve justice.”

Former middle school employee sentenced for sex assault on child

The former building manager at Horizon Middle School who sexually assaulted an 8th-grade student was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

Rodry Pombo

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Ryan Stuart sentenced Rodry Kyle Pombo, 27, as stipulated by the plea agreement. Pombo pleaded guilty Dec. 9, 2019, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 3 felony. Other counts were dismissed.

“These cases keep coming. Despite all we do, predators find ways to take advantage of our children,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “We drop our kids off at school to be educated in classrooms, not sexually assaulted in janitor closets. What goes on in the mind of a man who whisks a 13-year-old girl into a closet? These are egregious violations – we think our kids are safe when we send then to school, and they should be. This offender is going to prison where he can’t hurt anyone else.”

In late 2018, Aurora Police received information that a girl was sexually assaulted at the middle school over the course of the 2014-15 school year.

Investigators began looking into the allegations and interviewed the girl, who was 13 at the time of the crimes. She told the police she had numerous sexual encounters with Pombo, frequently in janitors’ closets. She had not reported the crimes at the time, but she told investigators she knew the behavior was wrong.

“Sexual predators like Mr. Pombo count on vulnerable victims to keep quiet,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo, who prosecuted the case. “That’s why so often this crime isn’t discovered until years later, when victims become adults and realize the scope of what was done to them. The defendant used his position as a school employee to take advantage of a student, and it is due to her strength and courage that we are able to put him behind bars so that he won’t be able to do this to another student ever again.”

Pombo resigned his job at the school in September 2015.

The plea agreement means Pombo must register as a sex offender.

Former Arapahoe teacher sentenced for sex assault on student

A former Arapahoe High School drama teacher was sentenced Friday to 5 years in prison for sexually assaulting one of his students.

Ian Ahern

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Michael Spear sentenced Ian Ahern for the sex assault on a 17-year-old student that took place in 2014 but was not reported until 2019.

Ahern pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, both Class 3 felonies. Other charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement, which kept the victim from having to testify at trial.

“This predator posing as a teacher took advantage of a vulnerable student. He abused his position, he abused her trust and he shattered her life,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “In addition, what he did negatively impacted his colleagues, the school and the community. We just get to sentence him for what he did to his victim, and for that alone, he deserves to go to prison. Well after he serves time in prison, the aftermath of his conduct will continue to haunt those most directly impacted by it.”

In early 2019, the victim told a friend, who reported the assault via Safe2Tell.

The victim told investigators that after the murder of student Claire Davis, she sought support from Ahern. He in turn touched her inappropriately and tried to have a romantic relationship with the vulnerable student. The repeated sex assaults left the victim devastated.

“I am the victim he chose to sexually assault for months. I struggled tremendously after the shooting, and he took advantage and manipulated me,” the victim told the judge in a statement read to the court. “I kept the burden of his secret for five years … But I could no longer allow other potential victims to interact with him. Now he can carry the burden of his actions.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo prosecuted the case with Deputy District Attorney Lisa Gramer.

“The position this defendant held is one of the most trusted in our community,” Jaramillo said in her sentencing argument. “Parents assume when they send their children to school that they will be safe. This defendant completely abused that trust. What he did affects the entire community and he deserves to be punished.”

Spear sentenced Ahern to five years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on each count, to be served concurrently, followed by five years of parole. Ahern must register as a sex offender.

Serial rapist sentenced 90 years to life for Littleton attack

A serial rapist was sentenced Friday to 90 years to life in prison for an attack on a woman on a Littleton trail.

Johnny Dewayne Harris Jr

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Michael Spear sentenced Johnny Dewayne Harris Jr, 49, to an indeterminate sentence of 90 years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting the 28-year-old woman who was walking her dog on July 25, 2018. This sentence will begin after he serves his sentence for a sex assault in Denver.

“This defendant is why we need strong laws regarding rapists,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “Monsters like him will continue to terrorize innocent victims whenever they get the chance. This offender will no longer be a threat to our community.
“I am in awe at the strength of the survivor in this case, who fought him off, spoke out about the attack and took the stand to help convict him.”

The survivor and several supporters spoke at sentencing. She thanked her family, friends and strangers who have rallied to her, calling them “her tribe.”

She asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence.

“What he did to me is not something you move on from or just get over,” she said. “But I’m smart and strong – a warrior woman. “

The jury reached its verdict Sept. 18, 2019. Harris was found guilty of:
• one count of first-degree kidnapping
• one count of attempted sexual assault
• one count of first-degree assault
• one count of unlawful sexual contact

When he attacked the woman in Littleton, Harris had committed two sexual assaults in Denver in March 2018. He was sentenced in July 2019 to 25 years in prison for the Denver assaults.

One of his Denver victims spoke at his sentencing on Friday.

“He deserves the longest sentence possible – the public is not safe when he is outside prison,” she told the judge.

“This is the thing that all good people fear – this is the stuff of nightmares,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Gallo told the judge Friday in asking for the maximum sentence. “Keeping this defendant in prison is the way the nightmare ends and the court can guarantee the safety of this community.”

Harris had been convicted in 1999 in Texas after he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. He was released from prison in 2014 but failed to register as a sex offender.

He pleaded guilty to failure to register in Colorado in December 2016 and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo prosecuted the case with Gallo.

“Nothing can make right what this defendant has done, but I hope this sentence brings a measure of security to the survivors knowing he will not be able to hurt them or anyone else ever again,” she said. “This painful chapter in their recovery is now closed.”

Jury finds Aurora man guilty of raping 2 girls

An Arapahoe County jury took 90 minutes Tuesday to convict Ble Ghislain Kore, 25, of raping two juveniles in Aurora.

The two victims did not know the defendant or each other.

Aurora Police Department investigated the incidents and connected them due to the similar descriptions of the car and defendant. In addition, the DNA of the defendant was found on both juveniles. Kore initially denied any sexual contact but later admitted to them during interviews.

After a four-day trial, on Dec. 10, the jury found the defendant guilty of sexual assault – use of force (Class 3 felony) and sexual assault – overcoming a victim’s will (Class 4 felony).

The defendant is eligible for probation under Colorado sentencing guidelines.

Senior Deputy District Attorneys Danielle Jaramillo and Jake Adkins prosecuted this case.

The sentencing hearing is set for Feb. 27, 2020, at 1:30 .m. in Division 408.

Youth pastor who assaulted kids from church sentenced to 50 years

A former volunteer youth pastor was sentenced Tuesday to 50 years in prison for assaulting teenage boys at his apartment in Englewood.

Joseph Potts

Arapahoe District Court Judge Ben Leutwyler sentenced Joseph Potts, 33, to a total of 50 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after he pleaded guilty Sept. 24 to two Class 3 felonies: sexual exploitation of a child and first-degree assault. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

“There is likely a special place in hell for those who satisfy their lascivious sexual desires under the guise of being a youth pastor,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “We can, at best, protect ourselves from him in this life. His true sentence awaits him in the next.”

The incidents occurred in 2017 when Potts was youth pastor at Jubilee Fellowship Church. Potts befriended the teenagers and invited them to stay overnight at his apartment to play video games. When they got there, Potts had them watch pornography. He then initiated lewd acts with them, which resulted in sexual assaults.

“Mr. Potts is the most dangerous type of criminal. He used a religious position of leadership in order to gain the trust of parents so that he had access to their children. These parents trusted that their children would be safe when alone with the defendant, and he took advantage of that trust in the worst way,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo, who prosecuted the case. “This sentence is due to the bravery and courage of two boys who were willing to come forward and disclose what happened to them. If not for them, Mr. Potts would have done this again to other children. They truly are heroes.”

Potts must register as a sex offender.

25 years for sex offender who tried to grab girl off Aurora street

A registered sex offender who tried to grab a schoolgirl off an Aurora street will spend the next 25 years in prison.

Tyler Mark Christensen

Tyler Mark Christensen, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 3 felony; other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement that meant his 11-year-old victim would not have to testify.

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Michael Spear sentenced him Oct. 25 to 25 years in the Department of Corrections.

“This is the nightmare scenario that haunts parents — the one we try to reassure ourselves will not happen to our children. Here, it did. Or almost did. The bravery of this 11-year-old girl cannot be overstated in defeating the desires of a prior sex offender who sought to rip her out of our community for whatever horrible uses about which we can only speculate,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “As the legislature flirts with further reducing the sanctions and supervision for sex offenders in our state, they should take note of this case — one in which a previously convicted and incarcerated sex offender who had already been through treatment was sent back onto our streets.”

On Oct. 11, 2018, an 11-year-old girl rode the bus home from Prairie Middle School in Aurora. She got off the bus and was walking home on the sidewalk when Christensen approached. He grabbed her and covered her mouth as she tried to scream. The brave girl bit his finger. He let her go, and she ran home. Christensen ran off in the other direction.

A homeowner’s security camera recorded video of Christensen as he ran.

An Aurora police officer recognized him the next day at an RTD bus stop.

“The defendant previously sexually assaulted an 82-year-old woman, and this time he tried to sexually assault an 11-year-old girl. Due to her quick thinking and courageous actions, she was able to escape and save countless other women and girls from becoming victims,” said Deputy District Attorney Laura Robilotta, who worked the case along with Deputy District Attorney Lisa Gramer. “Helping survivors like her is the reason I come into work each day.”

Christensen has a criminal record that includes assault and trespassing from 2006, attempted sexual assault and assault from 2008, and felony menacing from 2010. He was released from prison in October 2017.

Newer Posts

Older Posts