Former Northern Colorado deputy district attorney abused teen intern in 1990s

Editor’s note: This story refers to sexual crimes against children. Resources are included.

A former chief deputy district attorney for the 8th Judicial District will have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a Poudre School District student who interned at the office in the late 1990s.

Daniel Quinn, now 71, pleaded guilty in September to sexual contact without consent, a class 1 misdemeanor. As part of the plea agreement, two charges of sexual assault were dismissed.

The parties agreed to a four-year deferred sentence, during which he will be part of the intensive probation program for sex offenders. A deferred sentence means that if Quinn meets all conditions set by the judge at sentencing, this case can be expunged from his criminal record. Under the plea agreement, he will also have to register as a sex offender and undergo at least a year of treatment as part of his sentence.

Quinn’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Quinn was arrested in October 2023, six months after a woman came forward to Fort Collins police reporting that Quinn had sexually assaulted her while at the 8th from October 1998 to November 1999, when she was 16 and 17 years old. Judicial District Attorney’s Office worked.

“I went to counseling and realized what was happening was wrong,” she said in an interview with the Coloradoan. “I was sexually groomed at a pretty high level for a long time.”

The Coloradoan generally does not name victims of sexual abuse. This victim asked that her name not be used.

The woman began working at the 8th Judicial District Office in October 1998, filing papers and making copies. She worked in the office through a Poudre School District program called PACE (Professional and Community Program).

She said she was “thrilled” to get her dream job at the DA’s office because her dream was to become a lawyer, “so I was really happy to get that attention from a deputy chief DA of justice.”

“(The victim) reported a steady progression of behavior, which as an adult she recognized as grooming,” Quinn’s arrest affidavit said.

Their inappropriate relationship started when Quinn asked her out to dinner. As things progressed, the two would meet near Horsetooth Reservoir and take a ride in Quinn’s Jeep, according to arrest documents. Quinn also told her she was beautiful.

“Looking back, I just thought I was someone he loved,” she said.

Some employees in the district attorney’s office noticed their inappropriate relationship and confronted Quinn, arrest documents show. The woman said she also told another lawyer, Quinn, that Quinn’s behavior made her feel uncomfortable. These employees confronted Quinn about his behavior, but nothing changed.

“I work in the DA’s office, so if no one does something about this, is it wrong?” she said. “I probably work in the safest office in Northern Colorado. So that messed with my psyche as a 17 year old.

Because of the attention they received in the office, Quinn and the victim began meeting outside the office more often, according to arrest documents.

When Quinn spoke to Fort Collins police during their investigation last year, he told them that he and the victim had developed a relationship and friendship, but he said, “We definitely shouldn’t have kissed on the stairs.” It absolutely should not have happened,” referring to the stairs in their office building.

Quinn described the first time they kissed as a “beautiful, captivating, scary moment” and acknowledged that the victim did not have the emotional maturity to make decisions about the physical aspect of their relationship, according to arrest documents. Quinn admitted that the victim did not have the emotional maturity to make decisions about the physical aspect of their relationship. to additional instances of sexual contact before the victim turned 18, which the victim also described to police.

The woman said she told a friend about her relationship with Quinn, who then told the PACE office, which reported it to the district attorney’s office. She said the school district also received emails between her and Quinn from her school email account discussing their relationship, which they shared with the district attorney’s office.

Quinn was confronted about their relationship and allowed to resign, arrest documents show. The victim said she was told she could no longer work in the office and had to find a new job.

“The DA’s office had all this information and they had Dan resign, and they didn’t report it to the police, and they didn’t report it to the Bar Association,” she said.

Quinn maintains a private law practice in Fort Collins, although the state lists his license as inactive as of Nov. 15.

The woman also filed a civil lawsuit against Larimer County in the case and received a $300,000 settlement in March 2023, according to court documents. As part of that settlement, the county agreed to rename a waiting room for victims in the district attorney’s office, previously named for former District Attorney Stu Van Meveren, the elected district attorney who forced Quinn to resign when he became aware of the abuse in this case. .

The room was named after him “because of all the good things he did for the victims,” the woman said, “and I didn’t think that was right because he didn’t support the victims.”

The woman told the Coloradoan that going through this criminal case has been “horrible” and “dehumanizing,” and that she has experienced a lot of victimization since reporting her abuse.

“It makes it really hard to come out because all of a sudden they’re trying to flip the script, like I wanted what happened,” she said. “It’s just not true. I couldn’t come to terms with it. I didn’t have the capacity at that age to understand what was happening to me.”

Despite how difficult it has been, she hopes that by telling her story she can empower other victims to report their abusers.

“It is a difficult process, but it is important to know that they will be held accountable and that their secret will be shared publicly,” she said.

The victim said that while she has confidence in the prosecution of the case, she feels Quinn’s plea and that whatever punishment he receives will be “a slap on the wrist,” but there is no punishment she believes comes with the crime fits.

“I think it will provide some closure, but I will always have a part of me that will never forget what happened,” she said. “I’d rather just have my life back.”

Resources for victims of sexual abuse

The SAVA center provides crisis intervention, advocacy and guidance for those affected by sexual assault in Northern Colorado, as well as prevention programs through community outreach and education.

Fort Collins location: 970-472-4204
Loveland location: 970-775-2962
savacenter.org

Childproof supports child and adult victims of child abuse and provides support to the non-offending family members of these victims.

The Crawford Child Advocacy Center works to prevent child abuse by providing services to help decision-makers and investigators stop perpetrators, protect victims, and support survivors and their families.

Estes Valley Crisis Lawyers offers a variety of free and confidential services to survivors of crime and trauma.

SummitStone Health Partners provides guidance for psychological, emotional and behavioral problems; victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse; and drug and alcohol problems. It offers individual, group and family therapy.