Author: Blair Miller
Douglas County HS teacher, softball coach arrested on child sexual exploitation, obscenity charges
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. – A Douglas County High School teacher faces sexual exploitation of a child and obscenity charges after his arrest earlier this month.
Court records show Brian Stebbins, 41, was arrested June 2 on sexual exploitation of a child—inducement or enticement, and promotion of obscenity to a minor charges. The first is a class 3 felony and the latter is a class 6 felony.
The Douglas County High School website shows that Stebbins is an English teacher at the school who also teaches Advanced Placement classes. He is also a softball coach at the school, social media accounts confirmed.
The offense date listed in court records is Feb. 1, 2016. But police records in the case have been suppressed and are not currently publicly available, so the details of the alleged crime are unknown.
However, law enforcement sources told Denver7 Investigates the charges involve sexting with a minor student.
The school district sent notification to parents about the arrest Thursday afternoon. The notification came six days after Stebbins was arrested, three days after he was released on bond and about three hours after Denver7 Investigates called the district seeking comment. A district spokesperson said the school delayed notification to parents at the request of investigators.
Stebbins made his first court appearance June 5, and has since posted a $25,000 personal recognizance bond.
He is next due in a Douglas County courthouse on July 7.
LETTER TO PARENTS
Dear Douglas County High School Community,
I hope you are enjoying some time with your family and friends this summer. I apologize for interrupting your break, but I have some important information to share regarding our school community.
One of our teachers is currently involved in an ongoing law enforcement investigation. According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), Brian Stebbins was recently arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and obscenity.
When these concerns were shared with me, I immediately reached out to our partners at the DCSO. As this is an ongoing investigation, I am unable to share further details surrounding the investigation, but I can reassure you that Mr. Stebbins is currently on leave, pending the outcome of this situation. This is difficult news to share and something I take very seriously.
Thank you for taking a moment to read this message. I appreciate your time and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school in August.
Sincerely,
Tony Kappas
Principal
Douglas County High School
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Feeling disillusioned with Republicans and Democrats? There’s officially a new party in Colorado
DENVER – If you’re a Coloradan feeling disillusioned by the Republican and Democratic parties but want a party affiliation, there’s a new official minor party you can sign up for: The Unity Party.
The party, which has had a presence in Colorado since 2005, on Monday reached the 1,000-voter mark necessary to give it minor party status on state election ballots in both 2018 and 2020.
The Unity Party joins the American Constitution, Green, and Libertarian parties as the fourth minor party in Colorado. Aside from the Republican and Democratic parties, more than one-third of the state’s registered voters aren’t affiliated with any party.
Before reaching the 1,000-voter threshold, the Unity Party was a qualified political organization, which meant that any prospective candidates had to petition to get on a ballot.
The party will now have to assemble at least 73 days before the 2018 primaries to nominate a candidate or organize a primary for the party’s choice.
The only candidate currently registered with the party is Bill Hammons, who has run for various seats in Congress in every congressional election since 2010.
Hammons is running for the governorship of Colorado in 2018.
He lost to Jared Polis in both 2010 and 2012 when he ran for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District seat.
In 2014, he received 6,427 votes in a bid for the U.S. Senate seat won by Cory Gardner, and in 2016, he received 9,336 votes in the election for Colorado’s other U.S. Senate seat, which Michael Bennet won.
Hammons outperformed two independent candidates in that election.
He is also both the state and national chairman of the Unity Party, whose slogan is: “Not right, not left, but forward.”
Hammons called the news of his party’s certification “pretty exciting” and that it “was a long time coming.”
He told Denver7 Wednesday the party would likely get together in the next couple of months to readopt their bylaws, and would likely schedule the nomination convention for some time next March.
He said he remains committed to his governorship run despite also running the state and national chapters for the Unity Party.
“I welcome challenges in the party,” Hammons said, “but I’d be the best Unity Party candidate for the job.”
“This latest development reflects that as Coloradans we treasure our ability to make our own decisions,” Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams said about the addition of a new minor party.
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