Childhood sexual assault victim speaks out after teacher and scout leader sentenced to prison in Northern Colorado

In an interview with CBS News Colorado’s Dillon Thomas Just moments after his tormentor was taken to prison, the man who first spoke about his experiences with Robert Denise said he felt like he had closure with his past for the first time in decades.

The victim, a man who was assaulted as a boy, first contacted the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office in 2023, nearly 20 years after Denise sexually abused him.

The victim spoke to CBS News Colorado under anonymity because of his age at the time of the crimes. He agreed to speak with Thomas not only in hopes of bringing more to light about what he went through, but also in hopes of encouraging others who have been abused or exploited to have the courage to speak out.

The man, who was referred to in court only as “Victim No. 1,” said he felt compelled to report the abuse after seeking therapy for other problems in his life.

“I was at a point in my life where I was having problems, going through a lot, and I started therapy. My therapist encouraged me to move on. To move on from a situation that played a big role in my life,” the man said.

The man said he contacted the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 to tell his story, met with investigators and ultimately trusted them to handle the situation as they felt necessary.

“When I reported the incident, I was pretty much at peace with the outcome, no matter what it was. I knew I had done my part. When I reported the incident, I had a lot of faith in the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office,” the man said.

However, the man had not expected that he was not alone.

After the man spoke with investigators, the media relations team contacted reporters like Thomas and told them they were investigating Denise’s case and the allegations of sexual abuse.

Thomas and CBS News Colorado published reports online and on television, urging other possible victims to come forward.

The LCSO also posted similar information on its website and social media pages, culminating in at least four more men coming forward to say they were sexually abused or raped by Denise as children.

“It was very sad when more people came forward,” the man said of the realization that he was not the only one who had experienced this trauma.

Denise confessed to sexually molesting or raping the boys who came forward. Some were sexually abused at the Poudre School District’s Cache La Poudre Middle School. Others were sexually abused at Denise’s home. Some reported being raped or abused at the Ben Delatour Boy Scout Campy in western Larimer County.

Denise confessed that the stories the men told were true.

For almost 20 years, the man tried to suppress his childhood experiences. At one point, Denise was a role model for him. However, he noticed that Denise was exploiting their relationship as mentor and child.

“I put it away and tried not to think about it much. I didn’t realize how it affected me my whole life,” the man said.

Many of the details of the assaults and rapes were very graphic and not suitable for broadcast. Thomas filed this report on the day Denise was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his actions.

Although the description of the attacks was traumatic for the victims and many of them cried during his speech in court, the man said it was important to make sure Denise knew the negative impact he had on her life.

“It was important for Mr. Denise to hear that,” the man said. “It was important for him to know that I was not going to allow him to continue to be a part of my life. That was closure and I can move on.”

CBS News Colorado has reached out to the Boy Scouts for an interview or comment on this and previous reports, but the organization has not responded to requests for comment on Denise or the crimes he committed at their camp.

CBS News Colorado also contacted the Poudre School District and requested an interview regarding the reports submitted. The PSD declined an interview but issued a statement that read as follows:

“Mr. Denise was placed on leave as soon as PSD was notified of the report to LCSO and the resulting investigation into the abuse in the early 2000s. Since that date, he has not been – and never will be – permitted to work with our students.”

Victim #1 accused the district of not taking seriously the crimes Denise committed at their schools. He also pointed out that the district retired Denise two months before he was sentenced to prison, long after they first learned of the crimes he was accused of.

“I am very disappointed in the Poudre School District. They retired him and hired other teachers who did not do their duty,” the man said.

Even after he confessed before a judge to attacking and raping several boys, some of Denise’s colleagues and former students argued that he was a good person who should not be punished so harshly for his actions.

Some former educators testified in court that Denise was a good person and an even better educator who had a positive influence on the lives of the students he worked with.

The victim Thomas spoke with said his children will soon be old enough to attend PSD school. He said he was concerned the district was not taking full responsibility for handling Denise’s case.

However, the man said he bravely told his story to CBS News Colorado in the hope that it would inspire other victims of sexual abuse to come forward.

“I hope that other people who find themselves in a similar situation will speak up and be honest,” the man said.