Today Stephen Masalta was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections after serving one year in the Larimer County Jail for one count of Attempted Sexual Assault on a Child (F5) and two counts of Indecent Exposure (M2). Masalta entered a guilty plea in September 2024.

As a part of his agreement, once released, Mr. Masalta will be required to register as a sex offender in the State of Colorado, have no contact with anyone under the age of 18, and not have unsupervised internet access.

In March 2024, Fort Collins Police Services arrested Stephen Masalta following an investigation into a series of masturbation incidents at several local coffee shops. After his arrest, detectives began to review numerous digital devices belonging to the defendant and found videos of other criminal acts.

One of these videos showed Mr. Masalta contaminating multiple items of food with bodily fluid in the bakery of a Safeway where he was employed. After an intensive investigation, detectives were able to locate and notify all impacted victims in this case.

This case had a great impact on the community as a whole and its unprecedented nature will leave a mark on the victims for years to come. Unfortunately, this is a case where the resolution cannot fully encompass the depravity of Mr. Masalta’s crimes.

The law does not allow for multiple misdemeanor charges to be run consecutively, and this resolution will have Masalta serve the maximum on those misdemeanor charges. This also will have him serve the maximum on the felony charge. Beyond that, there is a significant gap within the current state of the law that prevents holding Mr. Masalta accountable for how severe his actions were.

“I understand that this sentencing may not align with public expectation, and I share the view that this man’s actions were unimaginable. Unfortunately, things don’t always unfold the way we hope. Hearing about today’s sentencing won’t likely repair the trauma Masalta imposed on his victims, and I trust they are supported by family, friends, and resources available as they navigate the emotions that may arise,” said Assistant Chief Kristy Volesky, who oversees the Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Collins Police Services.

“This case required countless hours of investigation and evidence review, and I am deeply grateful to all the detectives, officers, and staff who dedicated their time and effort to this important work.“

“The depravity of Mr. Masalta’s actions cannot be understated. His actions were shocking and left a considerable mark on our community,” said District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin.

“Everyone who worked on this case, detectives, officers, victim advocates, and multiple members of our team, worked incredibly hard and I am grateful for their dedication. Ultimately, we worked creatively within the law to maximize the length we could ensure the public would be safe from Mr. Masalta. Simply put, his actions were so horrific that our current law has not contemplated it, and I hope that we can work with the legislature to ensure crimes like this will be fully covered by the law in the future.”

Victim Resources

ChildSafe

https://www.childsafecolorado.org/

The Crawford Child Advocacy Center

https://crawfordcac.org/

Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center

https://savacenter.org/