LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A former Larimer County junior high school teacher who plead guilty in April to three counts of sex-related crimes against children was sentenced Thursday to six years in the Department of Corrections.
Robert P. Denise Jr’s sentence also include 10 years of sex offender intensive supervision probation following his guilty plea to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 3 felony.
Denise plead guilty to all three counts on April 4, according to a news release from the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The case began in January 2023, when a student who had attended Cache La Poudre Middle School (formerly known as Cache La Poudre Junior High) contacted law enforcement about an alleged assault by Denise. The victim told investigators Denise touched him sexually on several occasions while he was a student in the early 2000s.
Denise was arrested in mid-April of that year on two charges of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. He was booked into the Larimer County Jail.
Following his arrest, four more victims came forward, who alleged they were students of Denise and members of the Boys Scouts whose activities were led by Denise, according to a 8th Judicial DA spokesperson, though because of the statute of limitations, the office could not prosecuto the oldest two offenses.
Nevertheless, Denise was charged with an additional count of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust following another allegation by a former student against him.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Luke Birky highlighted the severity and disturbing patterns in Denise during sentencing, calling the grooming done by Denise “the most extensive I’ve ever seen.”
“The offenses in this case are incredibly disturbing, especially with how Mr. Denise used his position of trust,” said Judge Stephen J. Jouard during sentencing. “Many of the positive things that members of the community said in support of the defendant are the very same things that Mr. Denise used to groom his victims.”
Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said in sentencing that sexual abuse and exploitation “create a ripple effect of lasting harm that victims have to navigate for the rest of their lives.”
“We trust our educators to care for the best interests of the kids in their care, and this man betrayed that trust in the worst way,” said Feyen.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, support resources are available through the following organizations:
- Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center
- ChildSafe
- Crawford Child Advocacy Center
- SummitStone Health Partners
