DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. – A former instructional coach in Castle Rock accused of taking upskirt photos of teenage girls at the school where he worked pleaded guilty to a felony count of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification on Tuesday as part of a plea agreement and saw 16 other counts dismissed.
Steven Michael Jenkins, 56, could see probation, jail or prison time when he is sentenced in July after he pleaded guilty to the class 6 felony earlier this week, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office. The count was elevated to felony because the victim was under age 15 at the time of the crime.
Jenkins was originally charged with 17 counts – which included several misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification, as well as a felony count of promoting obscenity to a minor – but saw 16 of those counts dismissed.
Jenkins was an instructional coach at Renaissance Secondary School in Castle Rock when he was arrested, though he was fired shortly after the allegations came to light. He previously worked at Castle View High School and had been teaching for 29 years at the time of his arrest, police said.
Police documents alleged that two students reported in December 2017 that they had seen Jenkins recording videos under two girls’ skirts or shorts.
When police checked his phone, Jenkins grew skittish, according to police documents. He initially said some of the videos depicted his wife but then admitted he had shot videos of women “up their skirt and underwear.”
The officer wrote that Jenkins changed his story several times, however, but eventually admitted shooting the videos was “a sexual thing” and that he “should probably call a lawyer.”
Police seized his phone and his school-issued computer. The probable cause statement for his arrest says that officers found the faces of the two underage girls of which Jenkins was accused of recording.
Officers found “approximately 20 videos” that showed “upskirt” shots of 10 different adult women, the probable cause statement states, one video from under the skirt of one of the underage girls that showed the girl’s underwear and buttocks, and another video that showed the other underage girl’s buttocks.
The Castle Rock News Press reported in January that a judge twice denied a plea agreement between prosecutors and Jenkins’ defense after victims in the case and their parents objected.
Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10.
