Former middle school teacher convicted of sexually abusing students and scouts

File photo (chokniti / Adobe Stock)

DENVER (KDVR) — A former Larimer County middle school teacher was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty in April to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

According to the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, 60-year-old Robert P. Denise Jr. pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child on April 4. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 16 years in the Department of Corrections, followed by 10 years of sex offender probation.

During the sentencing, three of Denise’s victims and the mother of one victim spoke about the impact Denise’s actions had on them or their loved ones, according to the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

“The manipulation in this case is the most extensive I have ever seen,” said Assistant District Attorney Luke Birky in a press release. “The defendant did everything he could to have constant access to teenagers and specifically singled out ‘problem boys’ to further his manipulation.”

The case was sparked by a victim who reported to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 that one of his teachers at Cache La Poudre Junior High School had sexually abused him while he was in school. Denise was subsequently arrested on April 16.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office also made his arrest public, after which four more victims came forward and accused Denise of abuse. The victims were students and members of the Boy Scouts for whom Denise led activities.

Two of the oldest crimes could no longer be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations.

“The courage of these victims, including those whose crimes cannot be prosecuted, cannot be overestimated,” the prosecutor’s office said in a press release.

Prosecutors said the court received “numerous” letters supporting Denise and highlighting his influence as a teacher. Birky said that influence could not outweigh decades of abuse.

“There is no number of good deeds that can outweigh the rape of a child,” Birky said in a press release.