Press Release

Anchorage Man Sentenced to Serve 20 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Seven Year Old

December 16, 2016

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) On Friday, December 16, 2016, Superior Court Judge Paul Olson sentenced 51 year old Jose Colocho to spend 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a seven year old in 2015. Colocho will be placed on probation for 10 years upon his release and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In January 2015, a woman took her then eight year old child to Providence Alaska Medical Center after the child reported that her mother’s ex-boyfriend had sexually abused her over the past year. The child was taken to Alaska CARES where she was interviewed and examined. Anchorage Police Detective Leonard Torres led the investigation which resulted in Colocho being charged with sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree.

Colocho pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree and agreed that his conduct was among the most serious conduct for the offense. Judge Olson had the discretion to sentence Colocho anywhere from five to 99 years in prison. Judge Olson heard from the victim’s mother and from Colocho.
Judge Olson explained that Colocho’s crimes were committed on a particularly vulnerable child. Judge Olson noted that Colocho abused the trust and authority that the child’s mother placed in him. Judge Olson found that Colocho’s conduct was “most serious” because of his predatory, grooming, and violent behavior and found that Colocho had poor prospects for rehabilitation because he blamed the child for the conduct. Judge Olson explained that the child would likely have difficulty forming healthy relationships as she grows up as a result of Colocho’s crimes.
CONTACT: District Attorney Clint Campion at (907) 269-6300 or clint.campion@alaska.gov.

More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

Alaska C.A.R.E.S. is a Children’s Advocacy Center located in an outpatient clinic near Providence Alaska Medical Center. Alaska C.A.R.E.S. provides sexual and physical abuse evaluations for children, newborn to age 18 and 24-hour on-call services. More information is available at http://alaska.providence.org/locations/c/cares.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.