Local pleads guilty to sexual assault

Barbara Lawlor • Boulder County

On Thursday, Aug. 23, Jason Robert Coffman, age 41 and a Nederland resident, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault in the Boulder County Court.

Coffman was arrested in March and charged with two counts of sexual assault on a Nederland youth. He has been ordered to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18 as a condition to his bail, and a protection order has been given to the victim and the victim's family. Coffman can not go to parks or schools or anywhere there are children. He is not allowed to use a computer unless he is monitored.

The police report was filed in February, and the victim’s parents say it took a while for law enforcement to make the arrest, but they wanted to make sure they got it right and have a warrant to take his computers and telephones, needing an airtight reason for the judge to grant the warrant. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office worked closely with the Nederland Police Department, which offered support to the victim’s family.

The maximum penalty for the charge, a Class 1 misdemeanor, is two years in jail and $5,000 and having to register as a sex offender. According to the arrest report, Coffman sexually assaulted a 15-yearold girl visiting his house. The victim’s parents are concerned that there might be other victims and that their daughter wasn’t the only one. They said if anyone sees Coffman around any children, they should call 911.

Coffman will be sentenced on Oct. 22. Deputy District Attorney Tim Johnson prosecuted the case.