Two individuals are now facing serious charges in Douglas County following a child sex crimes investigation led by the Special Victims Unit. According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Palestino, a 33-year-old resident of Castle Pines, was apprehended on May 13. He was arrested for a series of felonies, including Sexual Assault on a Child by One in a Position of Trust and Sexual Exploitation of a Child.
Alleging further involvement in the case, detectives also arrested Gianna Worley, a 28-year-old from Centennial, CO. Detectives, searching for evidence on Wednesday, arrested her following the investigation that pointed to her connection with the crimes. She has been charged with one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Felony 3) along with another 11 counts of the same charge at a Felony 4 level.
Currently held at the El Paso County Jail without bond for an unrelated matter, Palestino's transfer to Douglas County will happen at a later date. Giving her a $100,000 bond, Worley was booked into the Douglas County Jail. It is highlighted by the Sheriff's Office that a charge is "merely an accusation", and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
