COLORADO
Our Colorado News
Ryan Boldrey rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com
Former Highlands Ranch youth pastor Matthew Capranelli pleaded guilty to one felony count each of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and sexual exploitation of a child, avoiding a trial that was set to begin this November.
Capranelli, who subjected a former Mountain View Community Church youth group member to sexual contact repeatedly between Oct. 1, 2004 and Aug. 31, 2007 while she was between 15 and 18 years old, will be sentenced Dec. 12 in Douglas County.
He was originally charged with five counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust as a pattern of abuse, but agreed to plead guilty to one count, which dropped the pattern of abuse charge.
Per the agreement, reached Oct. 9, Capranelli will be sentenced to a period of 10 years to life in the state’s Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program for the position of trust charge, and 0-12 years in prison for the sexual exploitation charge.
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