BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A 32-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on accusations he assaulted and detained a child against her will along a walking trail near a middle school, Boulder County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies responded to the area after the report and were able to find Cole Priest, who matched the victim's description, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office said they were informed Wednesday about a suspicious incident along the trail near the 6100 block of Baseline Road, which is near Nevin Platt Middle School in unincorporated Boulder County.
The juvenile reported she was walking on the path when she was pushed down by a man who walked up from the backyard of a home along the trail, the arrest affidavit says. She said she was eventually able to escape by kicking and screaming for help, the sheriff's office said.
The arrest affidavit says the victim was grabbed by her mouth.
After the victim escaped, she called 911 and reported the incident, describing the person who assaulted her as a bald man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and tan pants who was 20 to 30 years old.
According to the arrest affidavit, Priest was the resident of the home he walked from.
Priest was taken into custody on suspicion of third-degree assault, false imprisonment and child abuse, all misdemeanors.
On Thursday, the 20th Judicial District Attorney's Office sent a follow-up news release about Priest's arrest and criminal history. The DA said they found that Priest received a misdemeanor charges of "unlawful sexual contact, assault in the third degree and harassment," in a 2018 case out of Boulder.
During Priest's 2018 hearing, his attorney "raised competency issues and the Court found him incompetent to proceed. That finding of incompetence remained for the next two and a half years while Priest was ordered to engage in restoration proceedings, including mental health support services."
In September 2020, the news release says Priest's attorney asked the court to terminate the pending criminal case against him based on the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo's determination that "Mr. Priest remained incompetent to proceed, and their further finding that there was not a substantial probability that he would be restored to competency in the foreseeable future."
The institute, however, said that he did not meet the criteria for civil commitment.
At the time, the DA's office objected to the dismissal of charges and demanded a hearing, offered evidence and asked that the case stay active so that "Mr. Priest would continue to receive restoration treatment and medication," reads the release.
Despite the DA's opposition to the dismissal, the court dismissed the charges against Priest in November 2020.
“I want to acknowledge the courage and strength of the young victim, as well as the rapid response by law enforcement. This situation with the prior case demonstrates numerous concerns, including the lack of adequate mental health treatment throughout Colorado and the impact on community safety. Our office is committed to fighting for the right outcome in this case," said DA Michael Dougherty.
Based on Priest's history and safety concerns from the DA, the office argued for a $100,000 cash-only bond. The court set a $50,000 cash bond and ordered that Priest make no contact with the victim, possess no weapons and continues mental health treatment.
Investigators believe there may be additional victims, and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Eric Robinson at 303-441-4822.
Anyone with information can also contact Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at info@nococrimestoppers.com or 1-800-222-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Calls to the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers are not recorded and the phone does not have caller ID, according to the NoCoCrimestoppers website. A coordinator completes a tips information form, makes initial inquiries and passes the information along to investigators.
A two-way dialogue system online also allows tipsters to come back and provide additional information and ask questions.
A community board of directors meets regularly to evaluate arrests and determine reward amounts.
> More information about Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers can be found here.
> Additional NoCo Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here.
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