CENTENNIAL, COLORADO – A man from Englewood who used his role as a youth pastor to sexually assault a couple of teenage boys has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
33-year-old Joseph Potts pleaded guilty on September 24 to sexually exploiting children and first assault, and he was sentenced to prison for the felony charges at Arapahoe District Court on Tuesday.
Mr Potts worked for the Jubilee Fellowship Church as a youth pastor in 2017. After he befriended the two teen boys, Mr. Potts invited them to spend the night at his apartment and play video games, but instead, he showed the boys pornography and then sexually assaulted them into doing sexual acts, prosecutors said according to CBS 4 Denver.
CBS 4 Denver reported District Attorney George Brauchler saying in a statement, “There is likely a special place in hell for those who satisfy their lascivious sexual desires under the guise of being a youth pastor.”
“We can, at best, protect ourselves from him in this life. His true sentence awaits him in the next.”
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The two boys were praised by Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo who prosecuted the case, for coming forward and giving their testimony in detail.
CBS 4 Denver reports that Jaramillo stated, “Mr. Potts is the most dangerous type of criminal. He used a religious position of leadership in order to gain the trust of parents so that he had access to their children.”
“These parents trusted that their children would be safe when alone with the defendant, and he took advantage of that trust in the worst way.”
“This sentence is due to the bravery and courage of two boys … If not for them, Mr. Potts would have done this again to other children. They truly are heroes.”
As part of Joseph Potts’ plea agreement, several other charges were dismissed. Mr Potts will be required to register as a sex offender after he’s released from prison 50 years from now if the sentence sticks.
