A former Thornton youth pastor has been convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager he mentored, capping a closely watched trial in Adams County’s 17th Judicial District. An Adams County jury on Wednesday found Josh Lucero guilty of child sexual assault, following both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit that accused him of abusing a teen in the church’s youth ministry. Lucero is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11.
Conviction and civil claims
According to reporting by The Denver Post, 29-year-old Joshua "Josh" Lucero was convicted by an Adams County jury on charges tied to the sexual abuse of a minor. The Post notes that a civil lawsuit alleges the abuse began in 2018 and continued through 2021, while Lucero was serving as a youth pastor at World Alive Church in Thornton and overseeing teenagers between 13 and 18 years old.
Arrest and police investigation
Lucero was arrested by Thornton police in March 2025 and charged with “sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, pattern of abuse,” according to a Thornton Police Department news release cited by The Denver Gazette. Detectives said at the time they believed there could be additional victims and urged anyone with information to come forward. The department set up a dedicated tip line at 720-977-5069 for information related to the case.
Defense, church response and next steps
Lucero’s attorney, Chloe Gleichman, told The Denver Post that “While Mr. Lucero accepts the jury’s verdict, he intends to pursue all avenues on appeal.” The Post also reports that Lucero is the son of Word Alive's lead pastors and that church leaders did not respond to an email seeking comment. According to that reporting, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office declined to comment because Lucero has not yet been sentenced.
Where the case goes from here
With sentencing set for Sept. 11, the case now heads to a judge for formal disposition, and any sentence could include prison time and post-conviction registration requirements. Anyone with information or potential additional victims was previously asked to contact the Thornton Police tip line at 720-977-5069, as noted in the police release covered by The Denver Gazette.
