Cortez Police announce new sex offender in town

The Cortez Police Department has released the name of a sexually violent predator who recently moved into town.

On May 25, police began advertising that a person convicted of a violent sexual crime had been released into Cortez. On Thursday, Detective Buck Woodman confirmed that person was Brian Clifton Gentry, a 39-year-old man most recently from Grand Junction, who now lives on Jordan Place.

He was convicted in 2006 of sexual assault/10-year age difference, as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, for crimes committed in 2005.

Gentry is on parole from the Colorado Department of Corrections, and has “a high potential to re-offend,” according to a statement on the Cortez Police Department website. According to the statement, he committed his offense against a girl he knew who was under 15 at the time.

Gentry is one of 37 registered sex offenders in Cortez, and 78 in Montezuma County.

Colorado law requires law enforcement officials to notify their communities every time someone convicted of a violent sexual offense moves into the area. A full list of Cortez’s registered sex offenders is available on the city website under the “Police” tab. Woodman said visitors to the site are strongly encouraged to watch a linked video about the law regarding sexually violent predators before looking through the list.

This article was republished on Feb. 4, 2021, to report that Brian Clifton Gentry was convicted on a charge of sexual assault/10-year age difference.