A 38-year-old Nederland preschool teacher, under investigation for sexual assault on a child, turned herself in today to sheriff’s officials at the Boulder County Jail.
The woman was identified as Kristen Carol Barnett, who has been a teacher at Over the Rainbow Preschool in Nederland since last summer, according to Commander Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department.
The mother of the alleged victim, a student at the school, contacted the Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 10 to report her suspicions that a teacher at the school had sexually assaulted her child.
Brough said the gender and age of the victim is not being disclosed because the class size is small and might lead to the victim being identified.
An investigation by the sheriff’s department and Boulder County Health and Human Services led investigators to believe a crime had occurred, said Brough.
Brough said an arrest warrant was issued for Barnett and bond set at $10,000.
The preschool is in Nederland but the town asked the sheriff’s department to conduct the investigation.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Ali Thompson at 303-441-3643.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
