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	Former Church Youth Counselor Sentenced to 20 Years in Child Sex Assault Case Longmont Times-Call July 2, 2010 http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=22573 BOULDER - A Boulder District judge today sentenced a former Longmont church youth pastor and Fort Collins high school counselor to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting children 16 years ago. Bradley Boda pleaded guilty in April to sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse and sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. His deal stipulates that a judge may sentence him to between 10 and 20 years in prison, followed by lifetime probation. Prosecutors dismissed 11 other felony counts. Boulder District Judge Gwyneth Whalen listened for nearly three hours to people who supported Boda and his accomplishments as a couselor or detailed how the sexual assaults affected their lives or family. "Mr. Boda's actions have had far reaching and long-term consequences, not only for the victims but for multitudes of other people," she said. She sentenced him to 20 years in prison to run concurrently with a 10 years to life on intensively supervised sex offender probation. Boda spoke briefly in court and told his now-adult victims and their families that nothing was their fault. "If I could undo my actions ot take them back I would have done so long ago," Boda said. In November 2008, Longmont police began investigating reports from men who said Boda used his position with the church to develop sexual relationships with them when they were as young as 11. He was either a church volunteer or a youth director from 1991 to 2004. Boda was arrested in September at his Berthoud home after he failed to show up for his counseling job at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. No cases turned up in Fort Collins. Longmont detectives outlined their case against him in an 85-page arrest warrant affidavit. A tip led police to a man who told detectives he had a sexual relationship with Boda. Investigators said four men told them they had sexual relationships or encounters with Boda as young teens. Police sent a letter to church members — past and present — as part of the investigation. The letter did not name Boda, but detectives noted that most people who contacted them had surmised it was about him. The letter also netted additional information about potential abuse and suspected improprieties, but also information from people who said they never saw Boda do anything inappropriate with children. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the sexual encounters happened in the church, on church trips and at children's homes. One man told investigators he had started a relationship with Boda when he was 13 and it lasted about a year. Another told police he had encounters with Boda from the time he was 13 until he was 17.
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