Robert Denise Sentenced to 16 Years

Robert P. Denise Jr. was sentenced today to 16 years to the Colorado Department of Corrections followed by 10 years of Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Probation following a guilty plea to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, a class three felony. The 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office secured Denise’s guilty plea on April 4th, 2024.
In early 2023, a victim came forward to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office to report that one of his teachers at Cache La Poudre Junior High School had sexually assaulted him while he was a student. Robert Denise was arrested on April 16TH, 2023.

Following his arrest, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release discussing the arrest and charges. Following that release, four more victims contacted law enforcement about the abuse from Mr. Denise. These victims were students and members of the Boy Scouts whose activities were led by Denise.

Unfortunately, due to the statute of limitations, our office could not prosecute the oldest two offenses. The bravery of these victims, including those whose crimes are not eligible for prosecution, cannot be overstated.

During the sentencing argument, three of Denise’s victims and the mother of one victim made statements on the impact of Denise’s actions. Senior Deputy District Attorney, Luke Birky, highlighted the severity and disturbing patterns in Robert Denise. “The grooming in this case is the most extensive I’ve ever seen,” said Birky. “The defendant went out of his way to ensure he had constant access to teenage boys and targeted ‘troubled boys’ as a way to further his manipulation.”

While the court received numerous letters of support highlighting the defendant’s impact as a teacher, Birky underlined that those impacts cannot be used to rescue him from the consequences of decades of abuse. “There is no number of good deeds that can balance out the rape of a child.”

“The offenses in this case are incredibly disturbing, especially with how Mr. Denise used his position of trust,” stated Judge Stephen J. Jouard. “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.”

"When someone preys upon the children in our community, especially someone who held a position of trust in those children's lives, the harm can be immeasurable. The strength of these victims who came forward, shared their story, and set into motion accountability for their abuser after decades is truly incredible," said DA McLaughlin. "A great deal of praise is owed to those brave victims, members of law enforcement who investigated these cases, and the members of our team who were able to ensure that Mr. Denise can no longer victimize those in our community.”

“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 Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen.

There are resources and support available for survivors of child sexual abuse. To learn more and connect with those who can help:

ChildSafe https://www.childsafecolorado.org/

The Crawford Child Advocacy Center https://crawfordcac.org/

Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center https://savacenter.org/

MaleSurvivor https://malesurvivor.org/

Enough Abuse Campaign https://enoughabuse.org/get-help/survivor-support/