Nederland

    Kirsten C. Barnett, teacher at Over the Rainbow Preschool and wife of Nederland Town Trustee Kirk Barnett, has been charged with a class three felony, sex assault on a child by one in a position of trust. Barnett has been a teacher at the preschool for less than a year, and was formerly the owner and operator of a plant and flower store in Nederland. The Barnetts have two children.
    Barnett turned herself into Boulder County Jail on Thursday, January 28.
    On December 10, 2009, the mother of the victim, a student at the school, contacted the Sheriff's Office to report her suspicions that a teacher at the school had sexually assaulted her child.  The investigation conducted by the Sheriff's Office and Boulder County Health and Human Services led investigators to believe that a crime had occurred.  An arrest warrant was reviewed and approved by the Boulder County District Attorney's Office for one count of Sex Assault on a Child by one in a position of trust.  Bond was set at $10,000.
    The Over the Rainbow Preschool is located at 297 Highway 119, which is in the city limits of Nederland.  Even though the preschool is in the city limits of Nederland, the Sheriff's Office is conducting the investigation at the request of the Nederland Marshal's Office.
    This is still an open investigation and anyone having further information pertaining to this case may contact Detective Ali Thompson at telephone # (303) 441-3643.