Sometimes, even the “good guys” get charged with crimes. But, when they do – they face less serious consequences than the rest of society. A few years ago, a Boulder County Deputy was arrested for Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child, two counts of Internet Luring of a Child, and other offenses, including misconduct and obscenity. The deputy pled guilty, and as part of the plea deal, his charges were reduced to Sexual Exploitation of a Child. He was sentenced to 18 months in the Colorado Department of Corrections, and 20 years of Sex Offender Intensive Supervised Probation. This sentence seems light, considering the original charges against him. It makes us wonder if law enforcement gets better treatment than regular citizens. Let's look closer at the charges against him in order to better understand.

Internet Sexual Exploitation: A Class 4 Felony

Internet Sexual Exploitation – C.R.S. 18-4-405.4, is charged  in Denver, Adams, and Jefferson County when a person knowingly invites or entices a child (who they believe or know to be under the age of 15) through a computer network system or telephone network, to expose or touch their own or someone else's intimate parts, or observe the actor's intimate parts. This offense is always a class 4 felony, which carries a prison sentence of 2 to 6 years.

Sexual Exploitation: Ranges from a Class 6 to Class 3 Felony

Sexual Exploitation of a Child – C.R.S. 18-6-403, is charged when a person is in possession of pornography or other sexually explicit materials which include children under the age of 18, or prepare and / or distribute pornography which includes children under the age of 18. This crime ranges from a class 6 to class 3 felony.

A Look at the Boulder Deputy's Plea:

The deputy most likely pled guilty to the Class 6 felony (for possession of child pornography) Sexual Exploitation of a Child. He was sentenced for the maximum prison time of 18 months. While he received the maximum sentence for the crime, this seems like a light charge to plead to for someone who had been engaging in explicit sexual conversation with preteen girls for over 20 years. He used his Sheriff's Deputy laptop to communicate. The original crimes he was charged with hint at evidence of enticing the girls to meet (Internet Luring of a Child). It makes us wonder: Was this Sheriff's Deputy charged less seriously because he was law enforcement?

Request a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one has been arrested for Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child in Douglas, El Paso, or Arapahoe County, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O'Malley Law Office at 303-830-0880. Together, we can protect your future.

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