Dentist accused of attempting to arrange sexual abuse with mother and her daughter, 8

A Colorado dentist has been arrested and charged after allegedly arranging online sexual abuse with a person he believed was the mother of an 8-year-old girl, authorities allege.

According to a federal criminal complaint seen by PEOPLE, Dr. Jason Atha, a dentist from Boulder, Colorado, was arrested by federal agents on Aug. 9 when he landed at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

Although the 49-year-old man thought he was communicating with the mother and her 8-year-old daughter via a messaging app, he was actually speaking to an undercover Department of Homeland Security agent, the complaint states.

Atha allegedly began communicating with the undercover agent in October 2023 via a chat room on a messaging app that revolved around “taboo” sexual acts and child sexual abuse. The agent’s job was to “detect and investigate violations of federal law relating to the sexual exploitation of children,” the indictment said.

According to the complaint, the undercover officer — who Atha allegedly believed was a single mother — told Atha that they had an 8-year-old daughter who they were sexually abusing during what they called “playtime.” In response, Atha allegedly said, “That’s beautiful. I would love to be a part of that,” the complaint states.

When later asked if he had an age preference, Atha allegedly responded, “Hmm, not really. I’d say 8 and up,” the complaint says. Over the next few months, Atha allegedly sent photos of himself, expressed interest in “playtime” and discussed sexual acts he would perform on the “girl,” the complaint says. In messages from July, Atha allegedly planned to travel to Florida to have sex with the mother and daughter. He later shared details about his return flight, the complaint says.

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When he was arrested at the airport on Aug. 9, Atha waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with federal agents, the complaint said. He allegedly acknowledged the conversations and admitted traveling to Florida to watch the mother have sex with the daughter, but denied having sex with the child.

The indictment further alleges that Atha had child abuse material on his phone at the time of his arrest. He has been charged with attempted enticement of a minor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the indictment. It’s unclear whether he has entered a plea, and PEOPLE could not immediately identify an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

According to the complaint, Atha is a dentist at Alpine Dentistry in Boulder, Colorado, and has an active dental license. PEOPLE reached out to Alpine Dentistry for comment on Friday, Aug. 16, but did not immediately receive a response.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit regenn.org.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.