ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A former employee at Rangeview High School in Aurora was sentenced to 17 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) for preying on five students at the school, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
James Dolmas, 29, was employed at the school as a hall monitor and theater assistant. The DA's office said he used his position to gain the trust of underage girls, then solicited and exchanged sexually exploitative photos with them.
Dolmas also had unlawful sexual contact with several of the victims, one of which occurred inside the school, according to the DA's office. The encounters left physical marks on the girls, police said. Dolmas was arrested and put on administrative leave in July of 2019.
Prior to his arrest, Dolmas had been employed by Aurora Public Schools since 2010.
Dolmas pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2020 to two counts sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 3 felony. Other counts against him were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. He was handed down his 17 year sentence in the DOC on Nov. 24.
“There is a line in the sand, and no matter what students do, it is the adults’ responsibility to stand hard and fast on the right side of that line. A violation of that trust is shattering," Arapahoe County District Court Judge Shay Whitaker said during sentencing.
The DA's office said several of the victims and their families also spoke during sentencing.
“It is soul-crushing to know you were unable to protect your child,” one mother said. “The school should be a safe place."
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