ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A former juvenile prosecutor with the Denver DA's Office was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years of supervised probation for encouraging a teenage boy to smoke marijuana via text messages, the 18th Judicial District announced Wednesday.
Daniel James Steinhauser, 29, pled guilty to the misdemeanor offense of contributing to the delinquency of a minor back in July. He was sentenced on Oct. 4.
An investigator with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, which received the case from the Denver Police Department in 2023, also documented that Steinhauser showed potential "grooming behaviors" in his text conversations with the troubled boy.
Steinhauser had obtained the teen’s phone number from his parents, who were trying to get help for their son’s behavioral issues. A law firm referred the parents to Steinhauser, who was working at the Denver DA’s office as a juvenile prosecutor at the time.
The family had hoped their son would be able to witness a juvenile docket and see the potential consequences associated with poor decisions, an 18th Judicial District news release read.
The investigation began when the boy’s parents discovered inappropriate text messages between Steinhauser and their son. The messages included advice on smoking marijuana without detection and requests to meet secretly.
The two eventually moved their conversation to Snapchat, according to the 18th Judicial District.
"I found the defendant's text messages deeply disturbing and inappropriate," Senior Deputy DA Jacob Kremin said in the release. "Mr. Steinhauser's conduct is inexcusable, and I commend the teen's parents for coming forward to report this alarming behavior."
At sentencing, Steinhauser was also ordered to avoid contact with anyone under the age of 18 as part of his five-year probationary term.