Longmont man sentenced to 16 years in prison in child sexual exploitation case

A Longmont man was sentenced to 16 years in prison after taking a plea deal in a child sexual exploitation case

Michael Risinger-Peel, 42, pleaded guilty on May 29 to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and second-degree assault under a global injunction, according to Shannon Carbone, spokeswoman for the Boulder District Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In another case, Risinger-Peel pleaded guilty to possession of sexual exploitation material of a child by a repeat offender – extraordinary risk. Nine counts of the same charge were dismissed, as was one count of habitual sexual offenses against children. In that case, he was sentenced to 395 days in jail.

Risinger-Peel must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

“The Boulder District Attorney’s Office takes repeat sex offenses incredibly seriously, as evidenced by the prison sentence in this case,” Carbone wrote in an email. “We would like to thank the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab for its continued investigation of cyber tips and its ongoing work in prosecuting offenders who access or distribute child sexual abuse material.”

According to a press release, the investigation began after the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Officers obtained a search warrant and searched Risinger-Peel’s home on March 30 and found additional evidence.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office was initially unable to locate Risinger-Peel until he was arrested on May 23, 2023.

Risinger-Peel has previous convictions in Boulder County for sexual exploitation of a child and attempted sexual assault of a child in 2012, according to online court records. In that case, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.