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New Ulm man sentenced to 21 months in prison

NEW ULM — A 24-year-old New Ulm man originally charged with 17 felony counts of prostitution and first and second-degree criminal sexual conduct was sentenced to 21 months in prison in Brown County District Court Monday.

The charges against the man, Colten C. Camacho, stretched back to January 2015 and involved five local teenage girls.

Camacho was convicted of six counts of prostitution engaging 16- to 17-year-olds. Eleven counts in three cases involving him were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

He was fined $4,446, ordered to register as a predatory offender and pay restitution that is open for 30 days. Camacho is subject to electronic monitoring. He cannot leave Minnesota without written court approval. He cannot use alcohol or controlled substances and he must surrender any permit to carry a concealed weapon.

According to court documents, New Ulm Police were called by a mandated reporter May 4, 2016. The reporter said she received a report from a victim who was age 17 at the time of the report.

The reporter said the victim said in the past, she sold her body to a 21-year-old man, Colten Camacho, who lived in the Twin Cities.

The victim said she knew of many other victims who did the same thing and that they may also be minors.

The victim said she met Camacho when she was in seventh grade at New Ulm Public School. She said he bought her cigarettes, phone cards, food, clothing, and paid her to have sex with her. She said they texted on Facebook and Snapchat.

Another teen told police of someone who may have been the victim of a sexual assault when she was 16. This alleged victim reportedly said that she had her first sexual experience with Camacho in November or December 2015 in his car, within a mile or two of New Ulm. The victim described several other alleged sexual encounters with Camacho at his residence and in his car.

Yet another victim provided a written statement describing a sexual encounter attempt in which she told Camacho not to touch her, but he handcuffed her to this vehicle seat.

A 20-year-old woman who was 16 when she encountered Camacho read a victim impact statement.

“Colten Camacho has obsessive tendencies towards women he has been involved with sexually. After finding out what his sentence is going to be, I fear for the lives and well-being of myself and the other victims,” the woman said. “When he was released from custody every previous time, it didn’t take him long to reoffend. That shows he believes he is above the law, and that he will not learn until he is in prison for an extended period of time.”

The woman’s father said he’s had to pick up his daughter after she saw a car that looked like Camacho’s, and said Camacho disgusted him.

Another victim said Camacho caused her to use sleeping, anti-depressant and anxiety medication.

This victim’s mother said Camacho drove girls around in an unmarked (former) police car with a gun, to areas without cell phone service.

“My daughter missed school and was suicidal. It’s unbelievable what you did to those innocent girls. You’re very sick. You need help. Even with an ankle bracelet, you got away with things,” she said.

Another juvenile victim said she is afraid to walk alone to the park and her encounters with Camacho led her to heavy drug use that caused her to be sent to an intensive care unit (ICU).

“I still can’t have a normal relationship with a man,” the girl said.

Camacho said he had nothing to say about the sentencing when asked by Judge Robert Docherty.

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