Former DARE Officer Sentenced

The 17^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Aurora Police Department announce that former Aurora DARE Officer, Michael Mangino (DOB:  03/28/1961) was sentenced for sexually exploiting an adolescent girl in March 2011.

On April 24, 2012, Mangino pled guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child (F6).  Mangino was charged while he was an officer with the Aurora Police Department for having sexually explicit pictures on his cell phone of a 15 year old girl he had in his custody.  Mangino has since been dismissed from the Department. 

Chief Deputy District Attorney J.P. Moore stated that according to Mangino’s pre-sentence investigation evaluation, the March 9, 2011 crime was not an isolated incident but rather a pattern of conduct.  During sentencing, Chief Deputy Moore further stated, “Mangino took advantage of his position as a police officer….the violation of trust was beyond the victim, the violation also extended to the Aurora Police Department and the community.”

Aurora Police Chief Daniel J. Oates says, “Mr. Mangino, by his perverse and sexually deviant actions, did great harm to the image of the Aurora Police Department. He insulted and offended all the wonderful men and women of this agency. His violation of trust caused great harm to our community, making it harder for the most vulnerable victims to trust the police. He has now gotten the jail time and sexual offender status he deserves.”

Adams County District Court Judge Chris Melonakis sentenced Mangino to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections; the execution of the sentenced stayed for five years with the conditions that Mangino immediately serve 90 days in county jail and comply with the terms of a Sex Offender Management Board treatment program.