Martial Arts Instructor Gets Prison For Sex Assault On A Child

PARKER, Colo. (CBS4)- A martial arts instructor has been sentenced to three years in prison for sexually assaulting two students at the studio.

Jose Hilario Soto, 21, worked for Otomi Martil Arts when the crime was reported on May 30, 2017.

The parents of the victims spoke to Douglas County District Court Judge Theresa Slade during sentencing on Monday.

"The world is full of thugs and miscreants and deviants, but those who abuse children who are defenseless and innocent … I'll never figure that out," a father said.

He also said that Soto "needs a tangible consequence."

"These are some of the most challenging cases we handle," said District Attorney George Brauchler in a statement. "We rightfully want to lock up for as long as possible those who satisfy their lascivious sexual desires at the expense of the innocence of the youngest and most vulnerable in our community. And yet, we must balance that interest against the equally compelling wishes of parents who seek to limit the trauma to their children — not only of the crime itself — but also from having be to talk about it and be cross examined about it in front of 12 strangers. For these cases, justice is complicated and not always obvious."

Soto pleaded guilty in October to one count of attempted sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and one count sexual exploitation of a child. Other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The judge sentenced him to three years in the Department of Corrections, followed by 24 months of parole. Ten years of sex offender intensive supervised probation will run concurrent to parole and Soto must register as a sex offender.