Photo from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Friday, April 26, 2002
Some people are expressing concern about the president of Grand Mesa Little League after finding out about an arrest in his background that involved sexually-tinged abuse of younger kids, and seeing worrisome comments about his behavior on social media.
Christopher Riley, who was formerly known as Christopher David Rasmussen, was arrested November 21, 2001, on charges of third degree assault and false imprisonment after he tied up a 14 year old boy at Grand Junction High School who had resisted Rasmussen’s attempts to videotape him nude. Rasmussen was also accused of filming additional students nude at the school earlier that month. Rasmussen’s name was made public in the Daily Sentinel at the time because he was 18 years old at the time of the incident.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel/99551195/
Article from Apr 26, 2002 The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado)
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel/99551400/
Article from Apr 26, 2002 The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado)
Rasmussen ultimately plead guilty to a charge of 3rd degree assault after accepting a plea deal from the Mesa County District Attorney that called for him to get a 2-year deferred judgment and required him to meet with a probation officer twice a month and undergo a psychosexual evaluation to determine if he needed counseling.
The results of the evaluation are unknown.
Chris Riley – Photo from LinkedIn
Rasmussen also reportedly videotaped another student running naked through Canyon View Park. The students he filmed nude were freshmen at GJHS, younger than he was. The victims told law enforcement at the time that Rasmussen had coerced them into being filmed. Rasmussen could have faced charges of unlawful sexual contact and/or attempted enticement of a child. Both are felonies that carried long prison sentences. He took the plea deal on the advice of his defense attorney, Gordon Gallagher.
Upon completing his deferred judgment and sentence, the conviction was wiped off his record. The only remaining record of it is in the archives of the Daily Sentinel, which explains why it is not discoverable in a standard background check.
A notice was published in the Sentinel on January 25, 2013 that Rasmussen had formally filed with the Mesa County Court to change his last name to “Riley.”
A person concerned about the situation pointed to worrisome comments about Riley posted on the social media site Reddit, and noted that while the accusations in the comments are unproven, they nevertheless raise concerns for parents in light of Rasmussen/Riley’s prior conviction:
He has always given me bad vibes! He has done several other things with the league that I think are extremely unethical. Why is he allowed to be around kids and in a position of power like this! Unacceptable!!
I worked under him in 2016 and he would constantly make sexual jokes to my coworkers and I. Mind you we were 16-18 years old, he would only do it around the girls & women.We were very uncomfortable. He would talk about his love life all the time and it just wasn’t professional or ok. I don’t care how long ago it was, he shouldn’t be around kids if any age. If you think it’s okay to let a man with a past like this around your kids you really need to do some thinking
Thank you for speaking out to enablers who purposely or inadvertently protect abusers and rapists.
What concerns me is the ” one on one ” time Riley spends with minors. I am a teacher, and a mandatory reporter.
Any coach that shows signs of grooming should be reported and investigated.
A little league in a poor town like GJ, with parents that just drop off their kids, is honestly a real danger for predators. Mr Riley should take care to consider these things and stay above reproach.
You can’t seriously believe this article. Ms. Landman needs to stop stirring the pot. These claims are unfounded and I’m a proud parent at GMLL. Every adult who volunteers at GMLL has a background check done every year. This is their coaches, board members, and concessions people. I’m not going to let this defamation keep me or my players away. from
The conviction will not turn up on standard background checks or in Colorado state court records because under the plea deal, it was wiped off Riley/Rasmussen’s court records after he completed the terms of the plea deal. It is only discoverable in the archives of the local newspaper, which covered the story at the time, and in significant detail. I posted links to those articles so people could read them for themselves.
Do you think a prank…that occurred 23 years ago…as it states in the article should be brought up? You are out of your mind. I’m disappointed in you, Anne. What jerimandering by your liberal buddies are you trying to cover up?
An adult, tying a minor up until they agree to let you film them naked is…a prank?
There is nothing that Conservatives won’t excuse from one of their own, is there?
It seems like this part of the account is overlooked in his supporters comments. I wonder where this person is today. And better question, would he be comfortable with his kid being coached by Riley?
Pretty sure “Conservative Connie” is Riley chiming in anonymously….
But what about smallpox, Connie?
Are you saying the Sentinel articles are fake? I guess you could just ask Mr. Riley if his name used to be Rasmussen. That’d clear it up quickly.
This is a comment from the president himself right here don’t be fooled people the guy is a joke and should be removed
One thing I truly dislike about the GOP is their rush to judgement without enough context or explanation. I don’t know enough about this guy to make a decision, though this is concerning. I’ll suspend judgement until I have all the facts from all the interested parties. No pitchforks or tiki torches for me. I’m too old and too educated for that kind of nonsense. And it is unsavory when other people do it, so why would I?
How is the GOP involved this story? By implying that only members of the GOP rush to judgment, aren’t you judging the GOP in the same manner in which you allege these commenters are judging Mr. Riley/Rasmussen?
Anyone with any leadership position in this valley must be a Republican; and, as you can see by recent comments, they’re already circling the wagons and excusing his behavior. Some are just deflecting, though. 🙂
As a conservative, I have always been creeped out by the guy. I don’t know why this issue had to turn political. Many of us had suspicions, and this article only affirms them. Riley/Rasmussen shouldn’t be allowed within 100ft of ballpark or school.
Obviously he needs to be gotten the hell out of there NOW!
It never seems to end in mesa County.
Thanks, as always, for bringing potential threats to our attention.
The political right, good “Christians” all, is always obsessing about groomers, while, within their ranks are the likes of Rep.Gym Jordan, who allegedly failed to expose sexual abuse of Ohio State wrestlers.
Others are Catholic priests.
Others are Boy Scouts leaders.
Some enjoy other sporting activities.
The shadow from Christian upbringings and how it later plays out as an adult. You push anything under, referring to the flesh and nakedness as sinful, that raises curiosity, experimentation and a way OUT of those teachings. Teach young people that their nakedness is natural! acceptable! and NOT something to hide as sinful lust, no wonder!
Wait…
He doesn’t -look- like a Drag Queen…