Woodland Park man facing multiple sex assault charges now has four warrants for his arrest
WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Woodland Park man on multiple bonds related to arrests for sexual assault and sexual exploitation of minors has been issued two new arrest warrants for an alleged protection order and probation violations. 19-year-old Samuel Harris is accused of having unlawful sexual relationships with female minors.
13 Investigates has learned that Harris was arrested on July 27 for violation of a protection order, a class-two misdemeanor. Monday, Teller County Judge Scott Sells ordered Harris to be arrested for violations of conditions of his probation as well. Harris was given a $25,000 cash-only bond for the protection order warrant and a $10,000 cash or surety bond for the probation warrant.
Harris has been on probation for nearly a year. A Teller County probation officer has filed three complaints since June related to Harris' conduct while on probation. Monday, both the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office and Harris' probation officer requested no bond be allowed. Sells decided to maintain the $25,000 bond amount set last week and issue Harris the additional $10,000 bond.
In the arrest affidavit obtained by 13 Investigates, Harris is accused of contacting a male minor under the age of 18 after he bonded out for the second time. A condition of the protection order set by the court was that Harris shall not contact minors.
Woodland Park Police allege that Harris used his dad's video game console to reach out to the minor. The minor told police Harris wished him a "happy birthday" through the console and the last time he had ridden around Woodland Park with Harris was "a couple of weeks ago."
The minor told police that he was aware that Harris should not be in contact with any minors. The young boy told police "that is on him." The boy expressed a desire to not be involved with Harris moving forward.
13 Investigates spoke to the father of a victim on Monday. We have chosen to not release his name in an effort to minimize potential harm to his child.
"If Sam Harris is innocent, he is going to have his day in court but he has shown over and over again that he disregards the simplest orders of, 'Don't contact minors, don't contact victims," the father said.
In court on Monday, Harris' defense attorney described the bond increase to $25,000 was "astronomical." He added that the allegations in multiple arrest documents authored by Woodland Park Police were "questionable."
Samuel Harris' dad Brent Harris also argued for a lower bond on his son's behalf. He stated that his son is "not a predator." He said that the media and Woodland Park PD have an "agenda against my son." He argued that his son is working for him and would not re-violate if he were released from jail.
Teller County Judge Scott Sells said Harris is a "threat to the community," and that he "has no confidence that he will obey court orders." Because of that, he kept his $25,000 cash bond in place and issued the 4th warrant for his arrest.
The victim's father said he wishes the court would have agreed with the arguments of Harris' probation officer and the District Attorney's Office, a plea to not offer Harris new bonds.
"I heard the probation officer say 'we want a no bond on him' and the DA say 'we want a no bond on him.' I don't think Sam Harris should ever be let out of jail," the father said. "It would have been safer for our children. It would have been safer for our community."
As of Monday evening, Harris has not posted bond and is in the Teller County Jail.
13 Investigates reached out to Harris' public defender for comment. They told us the policy of the Colorado Public Defenders Office is to not comment on pending litigation.
