Call from Internal Affairs unit led to arrest of an El Paso County deputy accused of sexual assault

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- More details have emerged in the arrest of an El Paso County Sheriff's Office deputy accused of kidnapping and sexual assault.

Friday, 13 Investigates obtained the arrest affidavit for Dep. Dalton Bridges which details the encounter between Bridges and the victim on Jan. 3.

According to the affidavit, Bridges and the victim had a sexual relationship in 2020, but she broke it off after finding out Bridges was married and not separating from his wife.

The victim told investigators seven months ago Bridges came to her and said he had left his wife, that he loved her, and wanted to be with her. That's when their relationship began again.

On the night of Jan. 3, the affidavit states Bridges and the victim went to dinner, an arcade bar, and a liquor store before returning to her Fountain house.

According to the affidavit, both the victim and Bridges had been drinking. Once back at her house, the victim told investigators Dalton began hitting her with a paddle, possibly a whip. She said she told Bridges "no" and "collapsed on the floor." She also began crying "because it was too much."

Noted in the affidavit, investigators later found a paddle inside Bridge's bedroom after executing a search of his house.

The victim said Bridges then forcefully began to kiss her neck. The victim said she pulled away and ran out the front door to her car.

According to the affidavit, Bridges followed her, wrapped his arms around her, and dragged her back inside.

The affidavit states the altercation was caught on the victim’s Ring doorbell and verifies the victim’s account. The video shows Bridges taking the victim back to the house, while she is crying and saying, “No, no, no.”

While back inside, Bridges and the victim argue before talking about the situation. While they were talking, the victim said they started having sex. The victim said Bridges used a sex toy on her, despite her telling him it hurt and to stop several times.

According to the affidavit, Bridges said, “I don’t care” and the victim said she stopped saying no because “she knew he would not stop.”

Eventually, Bridges fell asleep. The next morning, the victim said Bridges made her have sex again despite her being in pain and then he left her house.

In the affidavit, the victim told investigators she hurt the next day and was bleeding.

According to the affidavit, Bridges and the victim messaged each other multiple times about the night, with the victim saying, “It was a lot emotionally” and that she had “really bad nightmares and emotional replays.”

On Jan. 23, the Fountain Police Department received a call from the Internal Affairs Unit for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office with information about a possible sexual assault.

On Jan. 24, the Fountain Police Department executed a search warrant at Bridges’ residence. Both the sex toy and the paddle were found. Bridges was detained during the search warrant.

According to the affidavit, Bridges reported the incident to his command. He said during that night, the victim never said stop or that it hurt. However, Bridges agreed that the altercation outside the house was a crime.

While speaking to investigators, Bridges said the victim was "not the kind of person he wanted to be with" and claimed she was making these accusations "because he would not date her" and because of their arguments that night.

A Fountain police officer asked Bridges if he thought the victim was scared of him during the night of Jan. 3, and according to the affidavit, Bridges paused for quite a while before answering “yes.”

According to the affidavit, Bridges' details of the night did not match up with what the security camera investigators had of him pulling the victim back into the house. At one point, an officer told Bridges "it was all on video and that he could not argue that."

Additionally, the affidavit notes an investigator told him, "when he does not tell the truth about some things, and things just don't add up, that it is hard to believe that he is telling the truth about what occurred with everything."

Bridges was booked in the Teller County jail because of “safety and security reasons,” according to the Fountain Police Department.

Bridges is charged with sexual assault and 2nd-degree kidnapping related to domestic violence. According to state law, a second-degree kidnapping is a class 2 felony if the person kidnapped is a victim of a sexual offense, and sexual assault is a class 3 felony if it is attended by any one or more of the following circumstances, including kidnapping.

The EPCSO said Bridges has been employed with the Sheriff's Office since June 2019. He was assigned to the Detention Security Division. He has since been placed on Administrative Leave, in accordance with policy.

The sheriff's office said this is an active investigation.

During a video advisement hearing Friday, an El Paso County judge filed a protection order for the victim and set Bridges’ bond at $50,000. His first court appearance is set for Jan. 31.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.