crime
School Social Worker Who Groomed 12-Year-Old Avoids Prison
Social worker who groomed 6th grader for 2 years avoids prison despite community demands for maximum sentence
Chloe Rose Castro, a 29-year-old school social worker, spent two years grooming a child who met her in sixth grade, telling him they couldn't have sex until he turned 18.
A Jefferson County judge sentenced her to intensive probation instead of prison, despite dozens of community letters demanding the maximum sentence.
Castro worked across multiple Jefferson County schools between 2021 and 2024, including Manning Middle School, Drake Middle School, and Wheat Ridge High School.
The victim's parents discovered evidence of the relationship in November 2024 and reported it to Arvada police.
Two Years of Grooming
The victim disclosed that Castro asked him to be her boyfriend after meeting her at the end of sixth grade.
Police found nude photos on Castro's phone and evidence of cuddling and kissing with the child.
The communication between Castro and the victim stretched back two years, beginning when he was 12 years old.
Community Outcry
Dozens of community members wrote letters asking for the maximum sentence.
Many people addressed the court directly at sentencing, expressing their loss of trust in Jefferson County Public Schools.
The prosecutor acknowledged that no sentence could restore community trust or erase the child's trauma.
Sentence and Broader Pattern
She must register as a sex offender for life and pay $14,430 in restitution.
Castro's case adds to a pattern that has shattered trust in a system meant to protect the most vulnerable children.