SchooI counseIor who encouraged the minor student she was indcently assauIting for years to hide the lnappropriate reIationship by telling the girl, “If she tells anyone, she will take her own life,” was charged

Colorado – A Colorado schooI counseIor was taken into custody last week and is now facing multiple felony charges related to the alleged se-ual assault of a former student. The 40-year-old defendant, C. PonceIow, who worked for the local school district for nearly two decades, is accused of engaging in an lnappropriate reIationship with a student over several years. The alleged incidents occurred off-campus, and the victim was a juvenile at the time. The victim, now an aduIt, came forward in July 2025, prompting a police investigation.

According to Colorado authorities, the former schooI counseIor allegedly began the lnappropriate reIationship with the minor student during her tenure as a counseIor. The relationship reportedly progressed to off-campus locations, where the victim was se-ually assaulted multiple times.

The victim told investigators that she was threatened by the schooI empIoyee, who allegedly said, “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill myself.” The defendant later expressed remorse for her actions, acknowledging the violation of boundaries and the abuse of her position of trust.

The former schooI counseIor first met the alleged victim while she was navigating high schooI. The two allegedly formed a relationship that started in the school counseling office, later progressing to an off-campus location, CBS News reported.

Colorado authorities said they learned through the course of the investigation that the defendant expressed regret for her actions, allegedly telling the victim she was ashamed for falling in love with the girl. Per reports, the defendant had an inappropriate reIationship with the then-minor student for several years and se-ually assaulted the student on multiple occasions off campus.

She has been charged with several felonies, including se-ual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, criminal attempt to commit se-ual exploitation of children, aggravated se-ual assault on a client by a psychotherapist, and se-ual assault.

She is currently being held at the county jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond. The School District has expressed deep concern over the allegations and has fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation.

Investigators are concerned that there may be additional victims or witnesses related to Poncelow’s alleged behavior.Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact Detective Cole Giandomenico at (970) 221-6558 or Larimer County Crime Stoppers at (970) 221-6868.