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Man says he was 'compelled' to expose himself to women on Jeffco trails, affidavit says

The 20-year-old suspect was arrested this week. He's suspected in multiple incidents since April on trails near Evergreen.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Editor's note: The story below includes details about sexual acts that readers might find disturbing.

The man arrested in connection with numerous incidents of indecent exposure on trails in Jefferson County admitted he exposed himself to women on the trail and said he felt "compelled" to do so, according to affidavit for his arrest from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO).

Glenn Braden, 20, was arrested late Tuesday after the most recent of 10 reported incidents. He faces charges of unlawful sexual contact and indecent exposure, all misdemeanors.

He's believed to be responsible for the following incidents:

  • April 3 - A naked man approached a female hiker and groped her.
  • May 4 - An unknown citizen reported seeing a naked man running on Shadow Pine Loop.
  • June 13 - A naked man confronted a female hiker and began masturbating.
  • July 11 -  An incident was reported at Flying J Ranch Park.
  • July 18 - A man approached three different women in one day. He fondled two, masturbated and talked in a sexual manner.
  • July 24 - A man approached a female hiker as he masturbated, grabbed her and attempted to rip off her clothing.
  • Aug. 8 - A man took his pants down in front of a woman at Genesee Park.

After his arrest, Braden agreed to speak with investigators and said he typically hiked around dusk on Mondays and Tuesdays, which were his days off from work, the affidavit says. All but one of the incidents occurred on those two days around dusk.

Braden mentioned that he hiked in the parks where the incidents occurred and would purposefully expose himself to women, according to the affidavit. He admitted the women reacted with "disgust" but said he felt "compelled" to commit "these sexual acts" and could "not help his compulsion," according to the affidavit.

Braden also identified himself as the person in images taken at Flying J Ranch Park on Aug. 1, the affidavit says.

He appeared in court Thursday morning and is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

One of Braden's brothers spoke in court on his behalf and asked for a lower bond so that Braden could enter into a mental health facility for treatment.

“We are just as upset about it. ... We want to give him a chance to do things right," the brother said.

RELATED: Man arrested who's accused of exposing himself to lone female hikers

The April 3 incident happened around 3:30 p.m. at Flying J Ranch Park. The victim reported that she was running in the park when a naked man ran past her and slapped her on her butt.  She said it wasn't physically painful but "startled her," the affidavit says. After composing herself, she said she took out her phone and recorded a short video.

Investigators were able to obtain several screenshots from that video showing the man. 

Shortly before 10 a.m. May 4, deputies received a call about a man running naked on the Shadow Pine Loop at Flying J Ranch Park. When park rangers arrived, they could not find the man. They spoke with numerous people at the park, but none reported seeing the naked man.

On June 13, a woman reported that she was walking with her puppy on a a trail at Aldefer/Three Sisters Park when she saw someone approaching her. She stepped aside to let that person pass and noticed that it was a man who was fully naked, the affidavit says. She reported that the man was masturbating while advancing toward her. She said the man did not say anything during the encounter.

About a month later, on July 11, a deputy responded again to Flying J Ranch Park for an indecent exposure report. The victim said that as she walked back to her vehicle after hiking the Shadow Pine Loop Trail, she saw a naked man walk toward her. She reported, according to the affidavit, that the man was masturbating and asked her if she would touch him.

The woman said she yelled for the man to get away from her and began walking faster to the end of the trail. She said she believed she had seen the same man earlier during hike but he had been fully clothed. She described his clothing as checkered or plaid pajama pants and said he had a backpack with him.

A week later on July 18,  a woman reported that she was at Flying J Ranch Park when she stopped to take a picture around 7 p.m. She said someone suddenly slapped her butt and she initially thought it was a joke from one of her friends. She was "shocked" when she turned and found it was a strange man. She said the man made a comment about her butt and then walked away.

Two other incidents were reported July 18.  One woman said she had seen a naked man masturbating in the park. As she concluded her hike, she said a man grabbed her butt and then continued running down the trail away from her. She said the man did not say anything to her.

Another woman reported that she was riding her bike with a friend on the Shadow Loop Trail around 6 p.m. that night when an unknown man stopped in front of them, pulled down his pants and began touching himself. They immediately rode their bikes away.

The most violent incident occurred July 24. The victim reported that she was walking on the Johns Landing Trail when she heard someone jogging up behind her. She stepped over to let the jogger pass and felt a smack on her butt, the affidavit says.

When she turned around, she said she noticed the man was naked. As she tried to walk away, she reported that the man smacked her butt again and attempted to rip her shirt down from the front collar, the affidavit says. 

She said she began yelling for help, and two bikers came over. The man ran off. The victim's clothing was collected as evidence, and male DNA was found on her shirt and submitted for testing.

RELATED: Jeffco Sheriff warns of sexual predator targeting female hikers

Two days later, on July 26, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office sent out information to warn the public about the incidents. which resulted in at least 38 tips. They also posted warning signs at the trailheads with a description of the man and incidents.

Investigators also conducted surveillance of Flying J Ranch Park, which included placing cameras. On Aug. 1, a camera captured a gold 2004 GMC Sierra truck in the parking lot.

The driver exited the vehicle, appeared to read the warning signs posted at the trialhead and then got back into the truck and left. It was noted the man appeared to match the description of the suspect. Investigators ran the license plate and found the truck was registered to Braden.

Credit: KUSA

A week later, on Aug. 8, a woman reported that a man had taken down his pants in front of her while on the Beaver Brook Trail at Genesee Mountain Park. When deputies arrived, they also found the gold Sierra belonging to Braden. After searching the park, Braden was located around 8:30 p.m. and taken into custody.

He agreed to speak with investigators and said he typically hiked around dusk on Mondays and Tuesdays, which were his days off, the affidavit says. It was noted that all but one of the incidents occurred on those two days around dusk.

Braden superficially mentioned that he hiked in the parks were the incidents occurred and would "purposefully expose his genitals to women he met along the way," according to the affidavit.

He admitted the women reacted with "disgust" but said he felt "compelled" to commit "these sexual acts" and could "not help his compulsion," according to the affidavit.

Braden also identified himself as the person in mages taken from Flying J Ranch Park on Aug. 1, the affidavit says.

He appeared in court Thursday morning and is being held on a $100,000 cash only bond.

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