BOULDER, Colo. — Police have arrested a man for sexual assault on a child, the Boulder Police Department (BPD) said Friday in a release.
Boulder Police say Michael Smith, 54, was arrested for sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.
The victim was sexually assaulted by Smith multiple times, beginning in 1997, when she was 13 years old, according to Boulder Police. The police department adds that Smith was introduced to his victim through his membership in the Boulder Shambhala.
Boulder police say they were also contacted by a second victim who indicated that she was victimized by Smith when she was 11 years old at a Buddhist retreat center in Barnet, Vermont. This alleged incident will be investigated by law enforcement in Vermont.
Both victims came forward after learning that Boulder police had arrested a former member of the Boulder Shambhala, Bill Karelis, for sexual assault on a child.
The victims do not know one another, according to the Boulder Police Department.
Boulder police believe that there are additional victims. Anyone who believes they or someone they know was victimized by Smith or any other member or former member of the Boulder Shambhala is asked to call Boulder Police Detective Ross Richart at 303-441-1833. There is no statute of limitations on sex offenses involving children under the age of fifteen.
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