Poudre Schools middle school teacher arrested, charged with sexual assault of student

A history teacher from Cache La Poudre Middle School has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child by a person in trust. Robert Denise, 59, is accused of sexually assaulting a male student more than once in the early 2000s.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office tells CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas the victim in this case, who was not publicly identified, brought forward the claims of sexual assault in January, around twenty years after the alleged assaults.

The former student of Cache La Poudre Middle School, which at the time was named Cache La Poudre Junior High, accused Denise of touching him sexually multiple times.

LCSO has asked the public to come forward if they may have been a victim of sexual assault at the school as well.

Denise was booked into the Larimer County Jail on April 16 and released on a $1,000 cash bond.

At least one former student reached out to CBS News Colorado saying the accusations against Denise were shocking, noting they always found him to be an inspiring educator.

UPDATE: Robert Denise was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2024.