Woman accused of sexually abusing 14-year-old boy tied to arrest of Colorado Springs police officer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Monday, an El Paso County judge addressed the conditions of the bond for 31-year-old Kristen Wessel, the woman accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy and continuing to contact him despite a judge ordering her to have no contact with him.

Police arrested Wessel in late January of 2022 on her first charges, three felony counts of sexual abuse. Court documents allege she had a pattern of sexual abuse against a 14-year-old boy after school officials found inappropriate messages between Wessel and the boy after his phone was taken for disciplinary reasons. The documents report that Wessel met the boy through a friend.

Wessel faces six counts total.

Court documents say Wessel spent one-on-one time with the boy at her home. Messages show that she offered to help him get emancipated if he wanted to get away from his parents. The two also communicated over Snapchat.

Some of the messages from Kristen, who went by the name Kaitlyn, to the boy are included in court documents:

"I really do love you so much."

"It's not for sex, not for cuddles or kisses, not for any of that... It's because you make me feel so special and loved."

"It's crazy to think about how far we have come in just a couple of months."

"Just to kiss you would be worth anything to me."

While she likely wasn't aware she was being recorded, court documents show Wessel did confess over the phone to having sex with the 14-year-old four separate times. However, she stated she thought he was 15-years-old at the time.

Officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department took Wessel into custody on January 25, 2022. A protection order was then put in place prohibiting contact between Wessel and the victim. She was charged on February 10, 2022, with an additional misdemeanor for trying to contact him despite the protection order. She was charged with the same crime for trying to contact him again on March 3, 2022, and March 27, 2022.

In court Monday, a prosecutor with the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office confirmed to a judge that on the third occasion, the victim was at Wessel's house when police arrived. Wessel then instructed the boy to hide in a "dark, dirty, musty crawlspace" of her home. Officers eventually found the boy.

Wessel's attorneys filed a motion asking for a reduction of bond, saying Wessel's daughter has an upcoming soccer tournament that she would like to attend.

Wessel's bond was set at $140,000 for the felony sexual abuse charges and $60,000 for the charges related to violating a protection order.

In response to that request, a family member of the victim addressed a judge Tuesday, begging her to keep Wessel's bond at the same amount or even raise it. The family member detailed the impact Wessel has had on the 14-year-old and his family, saying she groomed and manipulated him into thinking the two are in a lawful and socially acceptable relationship. He went on to detail the lengths to which Wessel has tried to contact the victim, including changing descriptions on YouTube videos to send him messages and hiding messages under rocks.

Wessel's attorneys told a judge Tuesday that she denies all of the allegations. Her attorneys also communicated in court that they believe she might have mental health issues and that she's not getting proper treatment for those mental health issues while in custody.

The family member also alleged that the boy is afraid for his life after a Colorado Springs Police Officer named Shane Reed "attacked and assaulted" the boy. The family member of the victim said Reed is the boyfriend of Wessel.

While it's unclear if the two live together, court documents list Wessel and Reed as having the same address. Reed faces four separate charges for the incident, which court records show happened on February 16, 2022. He's facing kidnapping, assault, menacing, and harassment charges for the incident.

Monday, the judge confirmed that the victim in Wessel's case is the same boy as the victim listed in Reed's case.

Ultimately, Judge Jill Brady kept Wessel's bond at $200,000 after Wessel's attorneys claimed that she would be unable to post that amount and will likely have to remain in custody.

Judge Brady told the courtroom that she has real concerns about the safety of the victim in this case and she didn't think it was appropriate to modify her bond amount.

Wessel is scheduled to be in court next on May 31, 2022. Reed's next court appearance on his criminal charges is set for May 25, 2022.