Former Roxborough teacher sentenced to 10 years for child exploitation

A former Roxborough teacher who prosecutors said groomed students and pushed past repeated warning signs was sentenced to 10 years in prison on May 5, with another 10 years of intensive sex offender supervision after release.

David Wayne Feil, 50, taught sixth grade at Roxborough Elementary School in Douglas County and worked for the Douglas County School District from 2014 until he was fired in May 2025. Prosecutors said his conduct fit classic grooming behavior, and investigators said the abuse did not begin with a single report. A Safe2Tell tip received March 12, 2025, accused Feil of sending partially clothed Snapchat photos to female students and engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with others, and district human resources opened an inquiry by March 18.

The warning signs investigators laid out were far broader than that tip. Police said inappropriate touching and photos involving female students dated back to 2021, and they found instances of students sitting on Feil’s lap during class. Investigators also said he discussed pornography with students and told them not to tell their parents. Feil had already received a disciplinary letter from the school in 2021 after inappropriate interactions with students, and he later admitted to deputies that he sometimes had issues with boundaries with students.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Feil on May 12, 2025, after he was accused of two counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. He was held on a no-bond hold while the case moved forward. Feil later took a plea deal and admitted guilt to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, with four felony child sex assault charges dropped as part of the resolution.

The sentencing closes a case that exposed how slowly some red flags can escalate inside a school setting when they are not fully stopped. In Feil’s case, the reporting channels that mattered were the ones that finally moved the matter forward: Safe2Tell, district human resources, and the sheriff’s Special Victims Unit.

District Attorney George Brauchler said the sentence sends a strong message to sexual predators. Sheriff Darren Weekly said the outcome cannot undo the harm, but it does hold Feil accountable and reflects the work of the detectives who built the case.