Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Child exploitation

Colorado gets 210 year sentence for sexual abuse of boys at Haiti orphanage
Approved, kdvr.com, Local, National

Colorado gets 210 year sentence for sexual abuse of boys at Haiti orphanage

By Brooke Williams | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man received a sentence of 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children in care at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. The man, identified as 73-year-old Michael Karl Geilenfeld, most recently lived in Littleton. He founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Haiti in 1985. The DOJ said in a press release that he repeatedly traveled from the U.S. to Haiti and “sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care” during his more than two decades operating the orphanage. The DOJ said he also abused the kids physically and emotionally through physical assault and other forms of punishment. Earlier this year, Geilenfeld was convicted by a federal jury on one count o...
Former El Paso County public defender pleads not guilty to sexual assault of a 14-year-old
Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Former El Paso County public defender pleads not guilty to sexual assault of a 14-year-old

By Mackenzie Bodell | Denver Gazette A former El Paso County public defender accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old pleaded not guilty in the 4th Judicial District on Thursday. Thomas Cushing, 26, was arrested Nov. 22, 2024, and faces one count of sexual assault against a child, according to court records. An affidavit for Cushing’s arrest indicates he met with the victim on two different occasions for sexual intercourse. The document also states the victim told Cushing that she was 18 years old, but made it clear she was a high school student still living with her legal guardians. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
Colorado man facing multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a child, distributing child sexual abuse material
Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Colorado man facing multiple charges of sexual exploitation of a child, distributing child sexual abuse material

By Christa Swanson | CBS Colorado A man from Boulder County has been arrested and is facing multiple charges for allegedly distributing child sexual assault material. After the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was notified of the material they determined the suspect likely lived in Boulder County. One of their investigators at the Boulder County Digital Forensics lab identified Matthew Howard Cory of Lafayette as a suspect in the case. Once they obtained a warrant, Detectives and Boulder County SWAT team members searched Cory's home in the 1100 block of Chiron Street. They reportedly seized several electronic devices and determined that Cory had been distributing child sexual assault material. Authorities arrested Cory on March 14 and booked him into the Bou...
Sengenberger: An ‘erosion of trust’ in Jeffco schools leadership
Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, Commentary, Local

Sengenberger: An ‘erosion of trust’ in Jeffco schools leadership

By Jimmy Sengenberger | Colorado Springs Gazette When Jefferson County Schools fired Chief of Schools David Weiss in December after learning he was being investigated for child pornography, the district spiraled into crisis mode. The situation deteriorated after Weiss died by suicide over New Year’s, with families learning about the allegations through media reports. Recently obtained text messages now reveal a district in disarray — defensive, self-focused, and scrambling behind the scenes while keeping parents in the dark. Dozens of pages of text exchanges, uncovered by the parent group Jeffco Kids First through open records requests, expose frantic damage control after Weiss’s termination — skirting open meetings laws by often grouping two board members with district leaders. T...
Child trafficking educational summit in Colorado Springs to present solutions
Approved, Colorado Springs Gazette, Local

Child trafficking educational summit in Colorado Springs to present solutions

By Debbie Kelley | Colorado Springs Gazette Each year thousands of children in the United States are preyed upon, exploited, held captive, forced into labor and sold into sex and human trafficking markets. And with some half a million unaccompanied minor immigrants crossing the southern border and being released to adult sponsors under what critics call a fairly lax system, more are ending up in the same situation. “There’s a serious problem,” said Tara Lee Rodas, who recently became a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whistleblower, when she reported that children were being handed over to gang members and people with criminal convictions. “I don’t believe people know there’s a problem, and the reason I can say that with confidence is that I had no idea what was going ...