GREELEY, Colo. — A Dacono man was sentenced to 122 years to life in prison following "horrific and egregious" child sexual assault and child abuse.
Dante Larks was convicted in April of multiple charges, including sexual assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse causing serious bodily injury and two counts of sexual assault on a child - position of trust and pattern of abuse.
In Dec. 2018, the Dacono Police Department began investigating Larks for domestic violence. In 2019, the Weld County District Attorney's Office began investigating him following allegations of child abuse and child sex assault.
According to the district attorney's office, the victim was physically, emotionally and sexually abused by Larks.
The victim told authorities that Larks would lock them in the unfinished basement many nights over several months. They weren't allowed out of the basement, except for a few hours a day. At times, the victim used a bucket as a toilet, the district attorney's office said in a press release.
Larks would throw peanuts down the stairs as food for the victim.
While the victim was asleep, Larks would sexually assault them while armed with a gun, according to the district attorney's office.
“This case is by far one of the most horrific and egregious cases that our office has ever seen," Weld District Attorney Michael Rourke said in a press release. "No child should ever experience the horror and trauma that this child will now have to live forever with.”
Larks was sentenced Monday to 122 years to life in prison.
