BROOMFIELD — The father of Travis Masse’s victim considered the former Broomfield High School teacher someone he could trust to teach wrestling techniques to his stepsons and responsibility to his young daughter.
Masse repaid the father by grooming his daughter — who was Masse’s student and the wrestling team manager — for illicit sex.
“I considered him someone I trusted,” the father said after a seven-woman, five-man jury convicted Masse, 29, of sexual assault Tuesday afternoon. “Hopefully, he (Masse) can change.”
Jurors took nearly three days to decide the former social studies teacher and award-winning wrestling coach was guilty of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust and sexual assault on a child/pattern of abuse. They began their deliberations Thursday afternoon.
According to testimony that began April 26, Masse sent the girl, then 17, more than 8,900 text messages from December 2008 to February 2009. Many were sexually graphic.
During the trial, the victim told jurors she and Masse had sex in his vehicle near Anthem Lake in Broomfield, and during trips with the wrestling team in Elizabeth and Southern California.
The girl also testified she had sex with Masse during a wrestling tournament in Grand Junction, but jurors indicated prosecutors did not prove that claim beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutors said Masse — who also sent sexually charged texts to another student — picked the girl in this case because she was vulnerable to his advances.
The victim’s father — a volunteer wrestling coach under Masse — said other coaches and staff at Broomfield High covered up for Masse.
“There were so many victims here, and so few people stood up for them,” he said.
Coaches who worked under Masse denied knowing anything was going on between him and the girl.
Masse faces a second trial later this month on a charge of unlawful sexual contact with a child, a Class 5 felony.
His bond was revoked after the verdict was read, and he was taken to the Broomfield County jail. Sentencing for Tuesday’s convictions is scheduled for July 21 at 8:30 a.m.
Jurors declined to comment.
Prosecutor Lisa Hunt declined to speculate as to why it took so long to reach a decision.
“Most importantly, we worked today to protect the children in our schools,” Hunt said.
Pamela Mackey — who successfully defended NBA star Kobe Bryant against sexual assault charges in 2003 — was Masse’s lawyer. She couldn’t be reached for comment.
Masse began texting the girl while she was a ninth-grader. The text messaging continued after the girl began having oral sex with Masse, Hunt said.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
