By Dalia Bautista Rodriguez
SACRAMENTO – A Sacramento County Superior Court judge Tuesday found Dante Ramon Colbert likely guilty at his preliminary hearing, after testimony from an officer investigating dozens of child molestation incidents that allegedly occurred for four years.
Detective Allison Cunningham of the Sacramento Police Dept. specializes in sex crimes, and interviewed the alleged victim on July 23, 2019, about the related acts committed against her by defendant Colbert.
Colbert was the boyfriend of the victim’s mother, and allegedly sexually molested the victim when she was between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.
Colbert also apparently “shared” the young victim with other child abusers, and recorded the abuse.
Det. Cunningham said the victim said the first sexual abuse occurrence she recalled was at the age of 10 years old when the defendant suggested that they play a game of hide and seek with a blindfold over the victim’s eyes.
The second occurrence recalled occurred when the defendant wanted to play the hide and seek game again. He told the victim that this was a game only between them and that the mother could not know. Colbert closed the bedroom door, the blindfold was over the victim’s eyes and the victim cried.
Colbert told the victim, “When you cry, you hurt me.”
These incidents took place when the mother was at work or not home.
Colbert allegedly recorded the sexual molestations, and allowed a friend to also participate, while they were smoking weed.
The victim was evaluated for physical injuries, and tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea. The victim stated defendant Colbert was the only person with whom the victim had ever any sexual relations. When the mother was evaluated and tested positive for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, the defendant was tested and came back positive for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.
Colbert did not want to speak to Det. Cunningham when she reached out to him. When they searched Colbert’s residence they found four phones and a laptop that belonged to the victim. No evidence was found on the phones or the laptop.
Judge Gerrit Wood dictated there was sufficient cause to believe the defendant is guilty, and will be setting a trial date.
Dalia Bautista Rodriguez is a third year- transfer at UC Davis and majoring in Community & Regional Development. She is originally from Guadalupe, CA.
To sign up for our new newsletter – Everyday Injustice – https://tinyurl.com/yyultcf9
Support our work – to become a sustaining at $5 – $10- $25 per month hit the link:
