A Denver man was charged with the murder of a two-year-old over the weekend, bringing to light his extensive criminal history for child abuse. 

Nicolas Stout, 38, was arrested by the Denver Police Department on Sunday and booked into the city’s downtown detention center, according Denver Sheriff Department records. 

He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of child abuse resulting in death. The charges make him ineligible for bond. 

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has compiled Stout’s extensive criminal history, which comprises six serious crimes – other than the ones he was recently charged with – dating back to 2005.

That year, he was charged with felony theft, third-degree assault and second-degree kidnapping. The bureau of investigation’s records do not indicate whether he was found guilty of those crimes. 

In 2006, he was arrested for sexual assault on a child. Once again, the records do not indicate if he was found guilty. They also do not indicate whether he had to be registered as a sex offender in Colorado. 

In 2012, Stout was charged with six counts of possession of a weapon by an ex-offender and impersonation of a peace officer. 

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s records indicate that all of the weapon possession charges were dismissed by the district attorney, but Stout was found guilty of his charge of impersonating a peace officer and sentenced to one year of probation.

That would be his last encounter with law enforcement and the courts for 14 years, until he was charged with murdering a two-year-old over the weekend. 

On Sunday, the Denver Police Department responded to a call about an unresponsive two-year-old on the 100 block of South Vrain Street in the West Barnum neighborhood around 7.30pm.

When they arrived, they found the baby already dead, and they arrested Stout soon after. 

The name and gender of the two-year-old were not made public, and it is unclear whether Stout was related to the baby. 

Police said the investigation is ongoing. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Denver Police Department for comment and additional details.  

In Colorado, first-degree murder is a Class 1 felony that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The state repealed capital punishment in 2020, which means there is no chance Stout will be put to death. 

The punishment for Stout’s other recent charge, child abuse resulting in death, is more complicated. 

The crime is considered a Class 2 felony if the suspect committed it knowingly or recklessly, which yields a punishment of eight to 24 years in prison and a fine ranging from $5,000 to $1million. 

If the suspect was in a position of trust to the child, knowingly committed the crime and the victim was under 12 years old, then the charge is equivalent to first-degree murder and carries the same punishment.