Civilian Resident on Fort Carson Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting a 4-Month-Old Child, Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

DENVER—Ray William Sievers, age 29, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel to serve 37 months in federal prison for assaulting his 4-month-old daughter, resulting in serious bodily injury. Following his incarceration, Sievers was ordered to serve three years on supervised release. The defendant appeared at the hearing free on bond and was ordered remanded into custody by the chief judge following the hearing.

Sievers was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on December 15, 2011. He pled guilty before Chief Judge Daniel on April 11, 2012. He was sentenced on July 30, 2012.

According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, in 2008 Sievers was a civilian then married to an active duty member of the military. They resided on Fort Carson Military Reservation with their two children, a 2-year-old stepson of Sievers, and a 4-month-old daughter of Sievers.

On March 28, 2008, Sievers’ 4-month-old daughter was admitted to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs for a non-accident trauma. Sievers alleged that he fell down the stairs with his daughter in his arms. According to doctors treating the 4-month-old, the injuries were inconsistent with the reported mechanism of the injury. Further investigation revealed that on two other occasions, Sievers violently squeezed and shook his 4-month-old. The shaking in one instance was so violent that the child’s head repeatedly struck the floor. On a different occasion Sievers squeezed and shook the child, and struck the back of the child’s head with a closed fist. He also dropped her face-first into the side of a bath tub. When he sought medical attention, the doctors questions Sievers’ story.

“The protection of children is one of our highest priorities. Child abuse, especially the abuse of such a young defenseless victim, is a grave crime that deserves our special attention,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “In this case, the abuse resulted in serious bodily injury. Thanks to the FBI and investigators on Fort Carson, the abuser will be incarcerated for his crime.”

“The sentence handed down appropriately reflects the seriousness of such a violent crime against a defenseless child,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge James Yacone. “The FBI will continue to investigate this type of criminal activity against innocent children who cannot protect themselves.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort Carson JAG Office.

Sievers was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Bohn.