James Joseph Renninger - Sex. Violent Predator - CO
Sexually violent predator released Cortez police hold 1st meeting ever to tell public about a SVP Saturday, December 2nd 2006 By Steve Grazier | Journal Staff Writer The Cortez Police Department held its first meeting ever concerning a sexually violent predator within the city Wednesday night. Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 16-13-901 through 16-13-905, the gathering was held to provide information on the release of listed SVP James Joseph Renninger into the Cortez community. About 20 people attended the one-hour meeting, which included information put forth by the 22nd Judicial District attorney, a local probation officer, area sexual-treatment providers and Cortez police officials. “This is an educational experience for all of us,” said Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane, who moderated the meeting. On Sept. 22, Renninger was sentenced in district court to seven years of supervised probation after previously pleading guilty to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl on the evening of Dec. 29, 2005. He served 239 days in jail leading up to his sentence and has recently been released. According to numbers provided by the CPD, there are 10,186 sex offenders in Colorado. Of those, approximately 65 percent of convicted offenders are placed on probation. Only about 16 percent of sex-crime cases are reported to authorities. Renninger, 20, was ordered to be listed as a sexually-violent predator by District Judge Sharon Hansen. To be classified as a SVP in Colorado, an individual must meet four separate criteria: n Age — He or she must be 18 years or older as of the date the offense was committed, or, less than 18 years of age as of the date the offense was committed but tried as an adult. n Date — The crime must have been committed on or after July 1, 1997. The crimes must be one or more of the following, which include attempts, solicitations and conspiracies: sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact (felony), sexual assault on a child under the age of 15, sexual assault on a child under the age of 15 in a position of trust. The conviction of such crime must have occurred on or after July 1, 1999. Conviction includes guilty, guilty plea and deferred judgment and sentence. n Relationship — The relationship to the victim must have been either a stranger to the offender, or a person with whom the offender established or promoted a relationship primarily for the purpose of sexual victimization. n Risk assessment instrument — Positive results, or the “passing of a risk assessment instrument,” which includes an assessment for the presence of mental abnormality; level of denial regarding the offense; treatment appropriateness and motivation and presence of sexual-deviant interests. Assessment is administered by probation-parole staff and a qualified treatment evaluator, which is approved by the sex offender management board. As part of his SVP listing, Renninger is not to be on the property of schools, parks, day-care centers, movie theaters or any other location where children are prevalent. “He’s expected not to be at the (Cortez) Rec Center where there are kids all the time,” said Graham Johnson, a probation officer for the 22nd Judicial District. Renninger’s movements are monitored via lie detector tests and a global-positioning system, which is tracked by satellite, Johnson said. Lane added that it’s Renninger’s job to update law enforcement officials about any personal changes, employment or relocation. “It’s his responsibility to tell us what’s going on in his life,” Lane said. “If not, he’s arrested.” Coincidentally, Renninger was picked up Wednesday by city police on a parole violation and is back in jail, said Lane, who noted that the charge was not another sexually-related matter. “(Renninger) was at his mother’s home (426 E. Arbecam), which is near a school, and that was a violation of his probation,” said the chief. “We’ll notify the newspapers to say he’s released again, if that happens.” Renninger’s home address shown in the CPD’s notification bulletin is 601 N. Mildred Road in Cortez. At the time of the crime, the mentally disabled 11-year-old girl was at a friend’s house down the street from the Cortez residence where she lives with her mother before the assault occurred. She left the friend’s house to return home shortly after dark, according to a CPD report. The assault took place before the girl could make it home. Renninger is a nearby neighbor of the friend whom the victim was visiting prior to the incident. At the time of his January arrest, he had no prior record of sexual assault in the Cortez area. Overall, there are 20 registered sex offenders living in the city, according to Lane, who added that Renninger is the only one deemed a sexually-violent predator. Within Montezuma County, there are 37 sex offenders, said Sheriff Gerald Wallace. A photo and general information on Renninger are to be listed on state and local Web sites. They include: www.sor.state.co.us and www.cortezpolice.com. To view sexual offenders in the county, visit www.montezumasheriff.org. Reach Steve Grazier at steveg@cortezjournal.com. http://www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/06/news061202_2.htm