Trial date postponed for former Colorado Springs deputy DA, church leader accused of child sexual assault

Apr. 17—The former deputy district attorney and Colorado Springs Mormon church leader accused of sexual assault on a child had his trial date postponed on Wednesday.

David McConkie, 45, a former president of the East Stake within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, appeared in court virtually on Tuesday to request a continuance of his trial, originally scheduled to begin on May 28.

The prosecution did not object to a continuance, and McConkie's trial is now expected to begin on Aug. 26.

McConkie faces one charge of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust after one victim, now 19, told police about abuse spanning several years and concerns she had that he was abusing another young child based on the child's behavior, an arrest affidavit for McConkie said.

The Gazette previously reported that, according to the affidavit, McConkie admitted to an inappropriate sexual act with a child to a church leader in 2008. The person who spoke with police about the admission said he was shocked, but he did not ask many clarifying details about it.

The police document doesn't detail whether the person McConkie confessed to reported the incident. The name of the person he reportedly confessed to was redacted from the documents.

Featured Local Savings

McConkie was a deputy district attorney for the 4th Judicial District 2008-2011 and went into private practice after that as a partner in a local law firm.

At McConkie's previous hearing where he pleaded not guilty to the sexual assault charge, prosecutors said McConkie and his attorney declined a plea deal.

The prosecution said the offer to McConkie would have had him plead guilty to one count of attempted sexual assault against a child, a Class 5 felony, and that the offer would remain open until early March. The deal would have seen McConkie sentenced to a term of sex-offender intensive supervised probation (SOISP), with no jail time.

There was no discussion of the offer at Tuesday's hearing.

McConkie will appear to court in person for the first time since his 2023 arrest on July 1 for a motions hearing. McConkie has been out of custody and living in Utah since posting a $100,000 bond shortly after his arrest.

___

(c)2024 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Visit The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at www.gazette.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.