Sentencing for child predator set for March

Fort Morgan Police Department – An update on a case that dates back to December 2023, with an investigation that was a coordinated effort between the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and local law enforcement partners, including the Fort Morgan Police Department, Brush Police Department, and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office. The operation focused on identifying and apprehending individuals using social media platforms to lure, exploit, and sexually assault children, here in Morgan County.

During the operation, investigators encountered 49-year-old John Custer, who drove from Boulder, Colorado, to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old boy for sex. The “juvenile” was, in fact, a CBI agent. When Custer arrived in Fort Morgan, he was arrested for Internet Luring of a Child with Intent to Exploit and Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child. He was initially held without bond and later released on bond by the judge, pending trial.

While out on bond, Custer allegedly continued engaging in similar behavior, contacting minors for sexual purposes. In 2024, he was arrested in Arapahoe County on comparable charges — this time involving an actual child victim. He is scheduled for trial in January for that offense.

In April of this year, a trial took place for the original 2023 Fort Morgan case, which ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to come to a unanimous verdict. Last week, Custer again stood trial in Morgan County. After several days of testimony, a jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts, including Internet Luring of a Child with Intent to Exploit and Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child. He was also found guilty on two habitual offender counts based on prior felony convictions, including the distribution of drugs. Custer was immediately remanded to custody and remains housed at the Morgan County Detention Center, while awaiting his sentence.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.