GOLDEN — A former day-camp instructor at a Lakewood recreational center who was to go on trial today has pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a child.
Michael DiPalma, 33, entered the plea Friday. Sentencing is scheduled for April 4.
DiPalma, who now lives in Centennial, singled out an 8-year-old boy while teaching elementary engineering using Legos and elementary robotics using Legos at the Lakewood Link Recreation Center, 1295 S. Reed St., in July 2006.
The boy was told to make a check mark each time he didn’t follow DiPalma’s instructions. When the other children were at lunch, DiPalma lured the boy to his car, drove him to a parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, and climbed into the back seat with the boy.
DiPalma put the boy on his lap, pulled down his pants and spanked him 20 times. The spanking left marks and DiPalma told the boy not to tell or he would go to his house and spank him harder.
The boy told his mother when she picked him up and the incident was reported to Lakewood police.
The case went to trial in September 2006 but the jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
DiPalma was convicted of felony counts of false imprisonment involving a boy and a girl in Albuquerque in 2000 and served a three-year probation.
He moved to Colorado in 2005, and worked in after-school classes at Steck and Bromwell elementary schools. He was terminated after he spanked at least two 7-year-olds.
Ann Schrader: 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
