1-Color
June 19, 2014
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Douglas County, Colorado Volume 122, Issue 33 Page 10
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Four vie for seat in CD4 Gardner’s Senate run opens up new spot in U.S. House By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office Sgt. Shawn Cronce heads up DCSO’s Internet Crimes Against Children program. A typical day for the detective includes swapping files with online predators as she builds evidence against offenders. Photo by Ryan Boldrey
Predators caught in the Net Law enforcement patrols a dark, online world in the name of child safety By Hannah Garcia
Special to Colorado Community Media Although it’s no secret that the Internet provides plenty of dark corners that harbor new ways to commit old crimes, Sgt. Shawn
Cronce said there is a misconception about a certain series of online crimes. “People like to think, `oh, it doesn’t happen here.’ It does, it happens everywhere,” Cronce said, citing a pile of seven case reports still waiting to be written. “I could work (on these cases) 24/7 and never make a dent.” Cronce heads the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children program. A typical day for the detective may include chatting as a 13-year-old girl or downloading child pornography as
she builds evidence against online offenders, parts of sting operations that are the crux of these types of investigations. DCSO tallied 15 ICAC arrests in 2013 and has made at least eight arrests so far this year. The majority of the arrests center on Internet luring charges, a Class-4 felony, and the manufacture, possession or distribution of child pornography, a Class-3 felony. Net Safety continues on Page 12
Castle Pines show puts autism in focus Percentage of proceeds help out special Denver school By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando @coloradocommunitymedia.com Artists from around the country came to Castle Pines to show their work and help raise money for Denver-based Firefly Autism this past weekend. The Village at Castle Pines Fine Art Show featured pieces from 25 different artists, kicking off with a private dinner June 13 and concluding with a weekend-long public exhibition. Tickets for the dinner cost $75, with all of the proceeds directly benefitting Firefly Autism. A percentage of all artist sales over the next two days also went to Firefly. Up Art Fest continues on Page 23 POSTAL ADDRESS
Four Republican candidates who are vying to fill an open 4th Congressional District seat are touting their conservative values to voters as the June 24 primary draws near. The hopefuls are seeking a seat that is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, who is leaving the House of Representatives in a bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Mark Udall this fall. The predominately rural district encompasses Colorado’s eastern plains. The district reaches northern cities, including Greeley and parts of Longmont, but it also includes some communities near Denver, including Parker, Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Elbert County. Gardner has thrown his support behind Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck to succeed him in the CD4 race. Buck — who narrowly lost a 2010 Senate race against Sen. Michael Bennet — is the household name among the four candidates looking to take over Gardner’s seat. “People talk about name recognition, but I think what I have is a brand,” Buck said. “People understand I am a fiscal conservative and I have a passion to reduce spending.” CD4 voters are hearing that same message from the other three candidates in the race: state Sen. Scott Renfroe; Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer; and Steve Laffey, a New England transplant who was once the mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island. Laffey lives just outside the district in Larimer County, where he raises cattle. The former head of a Tennessee-based brokerage firm, Laffey is a passionate fiscal conservative who hopes to help rein in federal spending, if elected. Laffey has been endorsed by former presidential candidate Herman Cain, a tea party darling. “I’ve never been endorsed by anybody,” Laffey quipped when asked about the significance of Cain’s endorsement. “Politicians hate me.” Renfroe, of Greeley, has represented state Senate District 13 since 2006. A fiscal and social conservative, Renfroe believes that his opponents cannot match
Artist David Hickman,25, hangs his work during the Village at Castle Pines Fine Art Show on June 15. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando
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OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, and the towns of Castle Rock, Parker and Larkspur, the News-Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media and additional mailing offices. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. | Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Tues. 12 p.m.
CD 4 continues on Page 13
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