LAPORTE, Colo — A Larimer County middle school teacher who was arrested in April on charges that he sexually assaulted a student in the early 2000s is now facing an additional charge, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said.
Investigators from the sheriff's office said after they released information on the original arrest of Robert Denise, 60, they received "multiple calls" from the public who shared "concerning behavior by Denise."
One of those calls included a victim who said they were sexually assaulted by Denise while attending Cache La Poudre Junior High in the 2000s.
Denise is a social studies teacher who has worked at the middle school since 1995. When he was arrested and initially charged by the district attorney's office with two counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, a felony, a $1,000 cash bond was issued by a Larimer County judge.
After an additional victim reported an assault, court documents show Denise now faces three counts of sexual assault against two victims – both who were under 15 years old when the reported assaults occurred.
“No person should ever have to endure the kind of traumatic violation that occurs with sexual assault,” Sheriff John Feyen said in a news release. “It’s important that we, as a community, support victims and demand accountability for offenders.”
At the time of his arrest in May, the Poudre School District said they had placed Denise on paid administrative leave in February.
The middle school where Denise taught sent out another letter to parents and guardians on Tuesday. The district confirmed that Denise is still on administrative leave following this new charge.
Anyone with information about unreported inappropriate conduct or abuse involving the suspect is asked to contact Investigator Ryan Gebhardt at 970-498-5586. People who wish to remain anonymous may also contact Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or stopcriminals.org.
The school sent this letter out to families Tuesday:
Dear Cache La Poudre Middle School Families:
In April, I notified CLPM families and staff that a teacher at the school, Robert Denise, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust from the early 2000s. Mr. Denise remains on leave and has not been at the school since February 2023.
This afternoon, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office posted a press release announcing that the District Attorney’s Office has added a third charge for Mr. Denise. This additional charge of alleged sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust is related to a different former Cache La Poudre Junior High student, also in the early 2000s.
The LCSO press release is attached and will be posted on the LCSO website. The charges are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Learning information like this about a former CLP teacher at your child’s school can be understandably distressing for you and for them, and news stories and social media posts may contain details that are not age-appropriate for students. If your child reads or hears about this case, I encourage you to watch or read the coverage with them and have a conversation about the content to help with any confusion, sadness, anxiety, or other emotions they may be experiencing, and to remind them that social media posts are not always credible. Our focus tomorrow and every day is providing a student-focused, safe, and academically excellent school environment. Therefore, we will not be talking to students directly tomorrow morning about this update.
Our counselors are ready to help your student process this news, whether it’s today, later this week, or weeks from now. Please let your child’s counselor or either administrator know if your child needs further support from us. If you need resources beyond what we have at school, here are some community resources:
- SummitStone’s Community Crisis Center, 1217 Riverside Ave. in Fort Collins: 970-494-4200
- I Matter Colorado (up to six free, virtual counseling sessions): imattercolorado.org or yoimportocolorado.org/ (la versión en Español)
- Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Connections (CAYAC): 970-221-3308
- Connections – Adult Services: 970-221-5551
- Sexual Assault Victims Advocate (SAVA) Center: 970-472-4204
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and crisis resources for your loved ones
- Text or call 988 to talk with a trained counselor
- Help in Spanish: 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/en-espanol
In addition, those who have information about this investigation are asked to contact LCSO investigator Ryan Gebhardt at 970-498-5586.
Please do not hesitate to let us know if you or your child need anything during this difficult time. We will continue to offer your child a supportive, high-quality learning environment as we continue into the 2023-24 school year.
Sincerely,
Alicia Bono
Principal
Cache La Poudre Middle School
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