The victims reported David Kats to police after learning of one another’s assaults through a Facebook group. A search of his home found “numerous drugs.”
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A Douglas County man has been found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting four women he met through dating apps over eight years, according to the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
David Kats, 56, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault and five counts of second-degree assault on Wednesday, court documents show. The district attorney’s office said Kats’ crimes, which took place at his Parker home and other locations, happened between 2015 and 2023.
According to a news release, four women who met Kats through dating apps on different occasions testified that they “blacked out” after he served them drinks. The women reported they later found out Kats had sexually assaulted them.
The district attorney’s office said the women found one another through posts in the “Are We Dating the Same Guy” Facebook group, where users share information about their partners to promote safer dating and alert others to potentially dangerous or dishonest individuals.
After discovering that they had similar experiences with Kats, they reported him to the Parker Police Department. As part of the investigation, officers executed a search of Kats’ home and found “numerous substances used to incapacitate victims,” according to the release.
During Kats’ trial, he denied having assaulted his victims and claimed all encounters were consensual. The district attorney’s office said that text messages from the women who accused him show they confronted him and “expressed concern they had been drugged.”
“The bravery these women demonstrated by taking the stand and facing this predator cannot be overstated,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo in the release. “Because of their courage, David Kats will finally be held accountable for the harm he caused.”
Kats ‘ sentencing is set for April 23.
In the release, District Attorney George Brauchler said he wants Kats’ predatory conduct to be taken into account when his sentence is read.
“Our hope is that the court takes a view of justice that sends a message to other sexual predators that prison is the only just outcome for behavior like this,” Brauchler’s statement reads, in part.
Kats faces a sentence ranging from life in prison to probation.
