ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — Following a four-day trial, a jury found a 20-year law enforcement veteran guilty of two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said the investigation began in July 2020 after Yahoo! filed a CyberTip report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a user uploading and sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
NCMEC pinned the IP address to Colorado. The Colorado Springs Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force submitted a federal subpoena in October 2020 and learned the IP address was linked to the home of Jerry Stinnett in Aurora. The case was turned over to the Aurora Police Department.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Stinnett's home and seized multiple computers, tablets and cell phones. The district attorney's office said three dozen sexually explicit images and videos of underage children were found during a search of the devices.
Stinnett, 65, was found guilty of sexual exploitation of a child - 20+ items (video) and sexual exploitation of a child - possession of pornographic material.
“Perpetrators of these kinds of crimes need to know they can't hide behind screens," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Joel Zink in a statement. "Each unthinkable image and video circulated online signifies yet another child subjected to horrific victimization. This case exemplifies our unwavering resolve, in collaboration with law enforcement, to diligently pursue justice for these vulnerable child victims.”
Stinnett worked in law enforcement for two decades before retiring in 2013, the district attorney's office said.
"Regardless of this defendant's past law enforcement connections, we do not give special treatment to offenders who break the law," District Attorney John Kellner said in a statement. “He was entrusted by his community for many years as an officer, which makes his actions behind closed doors even more egregious.”
Stinnett is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5. He faces up to six years in prison and must register as a sex offender.
