George Sagner, 33, a former girls high school basketball coach for Mead and former Longmont assistant boys basketball coach, was found guilty on eight charges related to grooming and sexual contact with minor children who were athletes on the basketball teams while he was a coach. Allegations go back more than decade to 2012, but the investigation into Sagner started in 2021 after authorities received a Safe2Tell tip in 2021.
Sagner awaits sentencing and faces a minimum of 10 years in prison but up to 144-years-to-life in prison. The jury found him guilty on all charges after the three-week trial concluded at the end of August. The charges include three counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust as part of a pattern of abuse, one count of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust involving a victim under 15 as part of a pattern of abuse, one count of sexual assault on a child – pattern of abuse, one count of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Court documents state Sagner kissed and sexually abused the victims, including putting his hands down the pants of a minor child. He also sent photographs of his nude body to at least one child whom he victimized.
“Tonight I will sleep better knowing that the man who groomed/abused me and 2 other victims for years, will sleep in a jail cell tonight with no opportunity to get out,” one victim shared on Facebook. “The jury believed us and found him guilty on all charges. It’s our turn to rewrite the story of lies he has told this community about us for so many years.”
Sagner had sexual relationships with at least three players on his basketball teams over the last decade and one of those relationships lasted for more than two years. Sagner also gave alcohol and marijuana to the child victims before sexually assaulting them.
The investigation was a joint effort involving multiple agencies — the Mead Police Department, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, the Longmont Police Department, the Boulder County DA’s Office, and the Weld County DA’s Office.
Sagner’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 6 at 2 p.m. He is currently imprisoned in the Weld County Jail.
