STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A Routt County jury found a former resident guilty of two counts of felony sexual assault Friday.

Timothy Lesiczka, 39, was convicted of use of force in an assault, a Class 3 felony; sexual assault, a Class 4 felony; and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, according to a news release from the Routt County District Attorney’s Office. 

“This verdict represents the culmination of the victim’s courage in coming forward to tell her story, and it is our sincere hope that she can now progress that much further in her recovery,” District Attorney Matt Karzen said in the news release.

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Lesiczka was accused of raping a woman in February 2018, according to an arrest affidavit obtained from the Routt County Justice Center. A medical examination found the woman had suffered sexual and physical abuse, including being choked and beaten, the affidavit states.

Routt County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Lesiczka on a warrant later that month. The victim’s name is not being released to protect her identity.

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All three charges of which Lesiczka was convicted carry domestic violence classifications, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The Class 3 sexual assault is punishable by an indeterminate prison sentence between four years to life. The Class 4 sexual assault also carries an indeterminate sentence between two years to life. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to two years in county jail. 

Lesiczka has a criminal history, according to the affidavit, including similar charges of violence, second-degree assault and third-degree assault relating to a previous domestic violence incident.

Deputy District Attorney Melinda Dudley led the prosecution at the trial. She said sexual assault cases are “extremely difficult” to take to trial because such crimes tend to occur in private places without witnesses who can corroborate survivors’ statements or provide additional evidence. It also can be a hard subject matter for a jury to grapple with, Dudley said.

For survivors of sexual assault, testifying at trial and recounting such crimes can be a traumatic experience, she said.

“We do our best to prepare a victim for the realities of having to testify,” Dudley said. 

She hopes the guilty verdict sends a message that local law enforcement and prosecutors take sexual assault cases seriously.

Nationwide, such crimes are the most unreported offenses against a person, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Dudley said this case is a reminder that sexual assault and domestic violence unfortunately are regular occurrences, but that justice is possible.  

Lesiczka’s sentencing has been scheduled for April 3, 2020, pending a pre-sentencing investigation and sex offense evaluation, according to Dudley.

Until then, Lesiczka remains free on bond. He currently is residing in Leadville.