Boulder dentist arrested in Florida, accused of attempted enticement of minors

DENVER (KDVR) — Federal agents arrested a Boulder dentist in Palm Beach, Florida, on Aug. 9 on suspicion of enticing a minor, capping a months-long undercover investigation.

Jason James Atha, 50, of Broomfield, was a dentist at Alpine Dentistry on Broadway in Boulder. An arrest affidavit accuses the man of traveling to Florida to meet with an undercover agent who posed as the mother of an 8-year-old girl who allowed him to perform sex acts on the fictitious child.

According to federal court records, Atha has hired two criminal defense law firms. FOX31 reached out to a number listed for Atha but was only able to leave a voicemail. FOX31 also emailed Atha’s attorneys for comment.

Homeland Security Investigations goes undercover

In October, Homeland Security Investigations began conducting online searches to track and investigate child sexual exploitation, according to an arrest affidavit for Atha. To do so, an undercover agent assumed the role of a mother with an 8-year-old daughter. The agent used numerous chat rooms that had been created for people to discuss their “interests” in topics such as “sex, family incest, child pornography, and the like.”

On October 3, 2023, the undercover agent began messaging a user later identified as Atha. The agent and Atha discussed the dentist who had sexual relations with the agent and the fictional daughter.

The conversations continued for months until June 14, when Atha and the agent began talking about when the suspect could visit Florida and the alleged child, according to investigators. Atha also called the agent and discussed details about the possible trip to Florida.

According to the affidavit, Atha also asked the undercover officer to dress the made-up girl in “something that wasn’t quite age appropriate” and said he would enjoy seeing the child wear makeup.

Ultimately, the agent and Atha agreed that Atha would visit Palm Beach, Florida, from August 9 through August 11. Flights, weekend plans and other factors were discussed, and Atha ultimately purchased tickets to Palm Beach, the affidavit said.

He used the tickets on August 9, and as Atha walked through the parking lot of the Palm Beach airport, the dentist was arrested by federal agents.

Affidavit: Dentist speaks to officers after arrest

According to an arrest affidavit for Atha, he “spontaneously” asked how he could be arrested and how his conversations with the undercover agent could be disclosed to federal agents. He admitted to agents that “he flew to Florida to watch the (undercover agent) have sex with (the imaginary child).”

The affidavit also states that Atha admitted to all the conversations he had with the undercover officer about having sex with the child, but denied doing so. The officers also executed a search warrant on Atha’s phone and found evidence of his involvement in multiple incest and taboo chat rooms, as well as possession of child sexual abuse material, the affidavit states.

According to a biography on the dental practice’s website, Atha traveled to North Carolina each summer to do pro bono work for children and adults who otherwise would not receive dental care.