ARAPAHOE COUNTY — A United States Air Force Academy ethics instructor has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
29 year-old Paul D. Sikkema was charged in April this year when investigators with the Arapahoe County Sherrif's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit discovered he sent photos and texts that described explicit sexual conduct.
One of the deputies, undercover as a 14 year old girl in a chat room made contact with Sikkema. The instructor continued to talk with the investigator and proposed a meeting.
“No person is above the law, including a commissioned Air Force officer who teaches — wait for it — ethics … to future officers. This conduct is shameful for the perpetrator and embarrassing for our phenomenal Air Force Academy," said District Attorney George Brauchler in a statement sent to News5. “Predators are always looking for young, vulnerable victims. Our ability to identify and quickly stop them is directly related to the funding we have for our Internet Crimes Against Children team. We are proud to work with them and prosecute those who target our children.”
The charge is a Class 3 Felony and Sikkema will now register as a sex offender, and have 10 years of Sex Offender Intensive Supervised Probation.
Sikkema also faces up to three months in jail when he is sentenced on Dec. 13.
