Former Northern Colorado police officer sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexual assault of child while on duty
A former Loveland police officer was sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child in a Northern Colorado park while he was on duty in 2023.
Dylan Miller, 30, was convicted by a federal jury in December of depriving a victim of civil rights while acting under color of law. In addition to 17 years in prison, he was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. He faced a maximum of life in prison.
The charges stem from an incident at North Lake Park in Loveland on the evening of Aug. 3, 2023, through the early morning of Aug. 4, 2023.
"Dylan Miller sexually assaulted a minor while on duty as a sworn law enforcement officer. His abuse of power and betrayal of trust are abhorrent," Peter McNeilly, U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, said in a statement on Monday. "Today, I think of the victim and hope she takes some solace knowing that a jury unanimously condemned the defendant's criminal conduct and the court has now expressed how serious that conduct was with this lengthy prison sentence."
Miller was fired and arrested in November 2023 after Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran said Miller sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl at the park earlier that year while on duty. The girl's parents reported the assault the previous month.
The Loveland Police Department hired Miller in May 2022, about seven months before Doran started working there. Doran says when he began working at the department, he started "transforming" it to focus on accountability and transparency — something the public was calling for in the wake of the 2020 arrest of Karen Garner, a 73-year-old woman with dementia; the arrest and excessive use of force against Preston Sowl; the 2019 shooting of a puppy by an officer; and the department having the second highest rate of police shootings in the state from 2011 to 2019.
"This was a profound abuse of authority and a betrayal of the trust our community places in law enforcement," Doran said in a statement on Monday after the sentencing. "A 15-year-old girl should have found safety and support from a police officer. Instead, she was victimized. Though federal prosecutors sought 45 years in this case, a lesser 17-year sentence was imposed. While we respect the judicial process, we are sorely disappointed. No punishment can undo the harm caused to the victim, but we remain committed to accountability, transparency, and justice."
A federal grand jury indicted Miller in March 2024 and the FBI led the investigation into the assault.
"The actions of Mr. Miller were not only harmful to the individual he swore under oath to protect, but they also undermined public trust and confidence in law enforcement. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority," said Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski of the FBI Denver Field Office. "Thank you to Larimer County Sheriff's Office for their participation in the joint the investigation, as well as to Loveland Police Department for their cooperation."
Miller still has an open case related to the same incident in Larimer County District Court, for which he's charged with kidnapping, sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust, unlawful sexual conduct by a police officer, sexual assault with a 10-year age difference, official misconduct, and official oppression — the first four of which are felonies.
He has a hearing scheduled for that case on May 4.
"Dylan Miller abused his power as a police officer to target, isolate, and sexually assault a minor in his care," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Today's sentence sends a clear message that the Civil Rights Division will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who betray their duty to protect and serve."
