* Thank you for supporting HB23-1135!!!

It had passed the House AND Senate, ready to be signed into law. We did it!!!*

I found out the hard way that an adult exposing themselves to a minor, or making sensual contact with a minor is only classified as a misdemeanor in Colorado, with an 18 month statute of limitations. Other states automatically loop these crimes as sex crimes on a minor, with potentially more jail time, and indefinite years to prosecute the crime. In most states, there is a 3 year statute of limitations for indecent exposure, regardless of the age of the victim. Colorado CRS16-5-401(1)(a) is way behind! 

In 2019, I was coerced into opening my home to a former in-law. In only the 3 months he was there, he exposed his genitalia to one younger child, and kissed the neck and ears of an older, while pushing himself up against her. He later intimidated them both at a party to keep the secrets. The younger suffered from night terrors, waking up and screaming uncontrollably at all hours, and developed an unusual curiosity of people's intimate body parts. I didn't know what was wrong. Counseling has since helped her to heal and she's done amazingly well!

It took a year for my children to tell me about these crimes, and then another year to get the younger to testify to the Aurora PD. Unfortunately, because of the statute of limitations, and classifying this crime as a misdemeanor, it was too late. The Aurora DA felt it was not actionable and closed our case, stating it was just a misdemeanor in both offenses. It's ridiculous that a vile crime on a small child cannot be prosecuted even 2 years later!

I have written to all of our Colorado Senators and received 1 response from an aide. In the coming weeks, I will email the House, and follow up with the Senate, with THIS petition. 

Update: This man is living now with his girlfriend and HER 2 minor children, in a condo in Southwest JeffCo surrounded by other families. He isn't registered as a sex offender, because charges were timed out, NOT because he isn't one. While investigating these crimes, we discovered he had done the same thing to another family member in the late 90s, and his own father (my former father in law) was recently under investigation in Jeffco for sexually assaulting 2 young family members. The father died before charges could be filed.

THIS WILL NOT END. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! This law has to be changed to reflect the seriousness of the crime. It usually escalates from these misdemeanors, and we shouldn't have to wait until a child is raped.

In 2019, Colorado removed all child abuse statute of limitations; this means charges could be filed regardless of how many years have passed. This particular sex crime was NOT included in these changes. In fact, I was told by Aurora investigators that had the exposure been done virtually, and not in person, it would've been a legally worse crime, because it would be considered a cybercrime. 

We need to protect our children from this kind of loophole. It IS a sex crime on minors and needs to be addressed as such. Even if these criminals see no jail time, it should be public, sex offender record of what they're capable of.