Colorado man who kidnapped teen girl gets 68 years to life in prison

Police discovered a teenager bound and gagged in a Thornton yard in June 2023. Now, the man responsible is set to spend more than six decades in prison, according to Adams County court records.

A jury convicted Phillip Torres of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of sexual assault on a child, first-degree assault and enticement of a child — all felonies — following a nine-day trial in October, according to court records.

Adams County District Court Judge Sean Finn then sentenced Torres on Friday to 68 years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections, the maximum sentence, court records show.

The 14-year-old girl was found in a yard outside a Thornton home in the 9400 block of Lillian Lane in the early morning hours of June 21, 2023, police said. She was lying beside a truck with her arms and legs tied up and her mouth taped shut, according to Torres’ arrest affidavit.

The victim, who was visiting Colorado, told officers she had been picked up earlier that evening by a man driving a white pickup truck, the affidavit stated.

She had a fight with her aunt at the hotel and left, according to the affidavit. She expected a ride back to the hotel when she got into the truck with Torres, but was instead taken to his home and sexually assaulted, according to the document.

Despite being bound, the 14-year-old managed to escape the home through a screen door and attempted to seek help from neighbors before hiding in the yard, where officers ultimately found her.