A former assistant pastor at Red Rocks Baptist Church in Morrison was ordered Thursday to spend seven days in jail for misdemeanor neglect after dumping trash on a 21-year-old developmentally disabled man.
Jason Smoker, 37, of Lakewood was supervising the man as he cleaned a church bus for an outing Aug. 27, 2008, according to the Jefferson County district attorney’s office.
“Smoker did not believe that the young man had done a satisfactory job cleaning the bus, and as a disciplinary measure he tied something, possibly a T-shirt, around the young man’s head, had him lie down on the ground and then dumped trash on him,” the DA’s office said in a release Thursday.
The victim, who was a church member and regular volunteer, testified at trial that he wasn’t hurt but had been scared. He told the court that at first, he was just scared and confused but afterward felt betrayed and humiliated by Smoker’s treatment of him.
Smoker was convicted of the misdemeanor neglect charge in a trial in April.
At the sentencing hearing Thursday, County Judge KJ Moore called Smoker’s conduct “appalling,” according to officials.
Moore said she has serious concerns that Smoker doesn’t understand the effect his conduct had on the young man and his family.
Moore also ordered that Smoker serve one year’s probation and that he have no contact with the victim, his family or anyone with developmental disabilities.
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
