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	Man Held in 5 Cases of Child Sex Assault By Manny Gonzales The Denver Post [Loveland CO] July 12, 2007 http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6353050 Police arrested a 23-year-old Windsor man Wednesday in connection with five incidents of child sex assault involving members of his Loveland church over the past two years. Also, pastors at the Gateway Baptist Church were cited for misdemeanors for failing to report the allegations since they were told in the summer of 2006, police said. Paul J. Lavertu was arrested by Fort Collins police at his home and faces three counts of sex assault on a child, one count of attempted sex assault on a child and one count of unlawful sexual contact, police said in a news release. Pastors James Rice, Thad Gunderson and Eric Mowen, from the church at 325 S. Taft Ave. in Loveland, were cited for misdemeanors for failing to report the alleged assaults, police said. Calls to the church were not returned late Wednesday. Police said one assault happened in Fort Collins last month involving a 14-year-old girl; another in Loveland about two years ago involving a 10-year-old girl; and three incidents in unincorporated Larimer County involving three boys, ages 8, 10, and 14, in the summer of 2006. Fort Collins police learned of the incidents when Lavertu and his attorney reported the incidents on June 22. Lavertu had been working with his church pastors since the summer of 2006, when they were made aware of an incident that occurred in Larimer County, police said. After learning of several other incidents, the pastors decided to seek legal counsel to work with Lavertu, police said. Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at mgonzales@denverpost.com or 303-954-1537
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