January 18, 2011
FORT CARSON RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS
DENVER – Ronald Eugene Beach, age 63, of Fort Carson, Colorado was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Judge Christine M. Arguello to serve 240 months (20 years) in federal prison for sexual abuse of minors while living on a military base, United States Attorney John Walsh announced. The Fort Carson Criminal Investigation Division office conducted the investigation. Following his 20 years of incarceration, Beach will then serve 10 years on supervised release. Beach, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded. As part of his sentence, Beach will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Ronald Eugene Beach was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on April 8, 2009. He pled guilty before Judge Arguello on September 8, 2010. He was sentenced on January 13, 2011.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, between July and November 18, 2008, Beach was visiting his adult daughter and her two minor children, ages 3 and 5, who reside on Fort Carson Army Base. The children’s father had been deployed on military duty. Beach came to Fort Carson to help with the two young girls so his daughter could work.
On November 18, 2008, one of the young girls disclosed to her mother that the defendant was engaging in sexual conduct with her. The mother checked with the other daughter, and learned that she, too, was being abused. The mother then immediately called the police. It was determined during the investigation that the defendant did sexually abuse both girls, and that due to their ages, both victims were incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct, or sexual acts, that the defendant engaged in. On November 19, 2008, the residence where the defendant lived was searched and several items were seized and tested for evidence of DNA. Those tests came back positive for defendant’s DNA.
“Due to the determined work of Fort Carson’s Criminal Investigation Division, a man who sexually abused young children will be incarcerated for 20 years for his crimes, both as punishment and to separate him from the opportunity to prey on other children,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh.
This case was investigated by Fort Carson Criminal Investigation Division office.
Beach was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Smith.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
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