Opinion ID: 2626216
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Pattern of Sexual Abuse Sentence Enhancement Provision

Text: Sexual assault on a child as a part of a pattern of sexual abuse is a sentence enhancer to proved offenses of sexual assault on a child. People v. Longoria, 862 P.2d 266, 269 (Colo.1993). As statutorily defined, a pattern of sexual abuse is the commission of two or more incidents of sexual contact involving a child when such offenses are committed by an actor upon the same victim. § 18-3-401(2.5), C.R.S. (2008). No specific date or time must be alleged for the pattern of sexual abuse . . . [but the] offense charged in the information or indictment shall constitute one of the incidents of sexual contact involving a child necessary to form a pattern of sexual abuse as defined in section 18-3-401(2.5). § 18-3-405(2)(d). Although the prosecution need not elect a specific incident of sexual contact on which to base the pattern of sexual abuse charge, it must allege and prove that the defendant committed at least two completed incidents of sexual contact on the same child victim for the pattern of sexual abuse sentence enhancer to apply as part of the trial court's judgment of conviction. Melillo, 25 P.3d at 778-79. Accordingly, the jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant completed at least two distinct incidents of sexual contact on the same child victim to convict the defendant of the pattern of sexual abuse sentence enhancer. See id. at 779 (requiring that the jurors unanimously determine which incidents it bases its pattern charge verdict on). The plain statutory language of the pattern of sexual abuse sentence enhancement provision, § 18-3-405(2)(d), refers back to the criminal offense of sexual assault on a child, § 18-3-405(1). It is clear from this cross-reference that the General Assembly intended a pattern of sexual abuse to act as a sentence enhancement provision to the offense of sexual assault on a child. See Longoria, 862 P.2d at 269. The General Assembly enacted the sentence enhancement provision and the accompanying definition of a pattern of sexual abuse in 1989. Ch. 163, secs. 1-2, §§ 18-3-401(2.5), 18-3-405(2)(c), 1989 Colo. Sess. Laws 903. These sections were added to acknowledge the difficulties young children have distinguishing references to time, namely, recalling specific dates and places, particularly where a young child is subjected to abuse over a prolonged period of time. Longoria, 862 P.2d at 270. Unmistakably, the General Assembly also intended to punish reoccurring offenders more harshly due to the greater impact repeated incidents of sexual contact has on child victims. However, nothing in the plain language of the applicable statutes operates to similarly punish attempted sexual assault offenders via application of the pattern of sexual abuse sentence enhancement provision. See People v. Cross, 127 P.3d 71, 73 (Colo.2006) (We do not add or subtract statutory words that contravene the legislature's obvious intent.).