A Thornton youth pastor convicted of child sex assault may spend the rest of his life in prison, according to Adams County officials.
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Joshua Lucero, 29, was sentenced Friday to 13 years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections, according to a news release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. An Adams County jury convicted him in May of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust — pattern of abuse.
Lucero worked as a youth pastor at Word Alive Church in Thornton, where his father was the lead pastor, the news release stated. He mentored teens, led church events and supervised overnight youth retreats, officials with the district attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors said Lucero secretly developed a relationship with a teenage girl in the church’s youth group and began “engaging in sexual contact with her” when she was 16 years old. The incidents happened an unknown number of times over several years, and Lucero pressured her not to tell anyone, according to the release.
The girl and her parents reported Lucero to church leadership in 2021, but the leadership team did not notify law enforcement and decided to handle the matter internally, officials with the district attorney’s office said.
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Three board members resigned after church leadership decided not to file a police report, prosecutors said. Those board members later reported the assaults to the Thornton Police Department, according to the release.
Police said the girl was initially unprepared to press charges against Lucero, but she returned to the department in 2024 to speak with investigators. Lucero was arrested in March 2025.
“This defendant abused his position as a youth pastor to exploit a child who trusted him,” District Attorney Brian Mason said in a statement. “The victim in this case showed tremendous courage by coming forward, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this betrayal and the harm she endured.”
Lucero’s attorney, Chloe Gleichman with the Colorado Legal Defense Group, previously said Lucero “intends to pursue all avenues on appeal.” Gleichman declined to comment Monday.
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Word Alive Church also did not respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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