Fremont County deputy arrested, accused of raping teenage girl

A Fremont County sheriff’s deputy is accused of raping a teenage girl, according to an arrest affidavit.

On Wednesday, Joseph Charles Bonfadini, 30, was arrested on a sexual assault warrant issued by Pueblo police. He was arrested during a traffic stop in Pueblo County by Colorado State Patrol.

According to the affidavit, the girl was living with Bonfadini for a few weeks last summer. Bonfadini denies raping her. He says the girl made up the accusations because she did not want to live in Pueblo.

Bonfadini began working for the department on January 28, 2013 as a detention deputy.

Pueblo police say a warrant for his arrest wasn’t written until April 24, nearly three months after he began working with the Sheriff’s Department.

“I don’t know if this gentleman even knew there was a case being investigated on him when he was hired. Naturally, we would not hire him if anything had come up in the background,” said Capt. Don Pinover of the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department says Bonfadini’s employment has been terminated due to an unrelated matter, as of Friday.