Colorado corrections officer accused of sending sexually explicit image to alleged 14-year-old girl
PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Colorado corrections officer employed at the Fremont Correctional Prison in Cañon City is one of dozens of suspects arrested in a nationwide investigation out of Florida for sexual predators.
On Feb. 6, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said 45-year-old Justin Sturtevant "engaged in an online conversation on a social networking site with an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old girl."
"Well, I thought I'd introduce you to Justin Sturtevant," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said while holding Sturtevant's mug shot in a press conference last week. "That's right. He's a corrections officer. Did you hear what I said? And he's having unlawful communication and thinking he's grooming a 14 year old female and he is mailing pictures of his junk to her. Turns out it's our undercover detective."
During that conversation, the sheriff's office said the undercover detective told Sturtevant several times "she" was only 14. Still, despite that information, Sturtevant reportedly sent a sexually explicit image to the undercover detective and "instigated sexually explicit conversations."
In arrest papers obtained by 13 Investigates, Sturtevant allegedly was messaging the girl on social media site under the username "funguy0175." The messages started by him asking if she was "curious about sexual stuff."
The conversation continued by Sturtevant saying, "you sound like your body gets turned on a bit and your curious but scared but ready to try things." He continued to make sexually explicit remarks towards the young girl, including comments about hypothetically having sex with the girl.
Arrest papers say Sturtevant allegedly told the young girl that he is only 17-year-old and states he is okay that she is younger. The detective states numerous times throughout the conversation that she is only 14-years-old.
Sturtevant then allegedly send a sexually explicit photograph of his private parts to the young girl, then proceeds to ask her for them in return from her. After continually asking for them from her, the detective terminates the conversation.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Sturtevant faces the following charges; One count of criminal use of a two-way communication device (F2), one count of transmission of harmful material to a minor (F3), and one count use of a computer to solicit a child for sex (F2).
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff's office, they arrested Sturtevant at his home in Pueblo West on February 23. He is currently still in the Pueblo County Jail, awaiting transport to Polk County in Florida at a later date.
13 Investigates has reached out to the Colorado Department of Corrections on the status of Sturtevant. We are waiting to hear back.
However, Judd claims that Sturtevant has a prior criminal history, but that his charges were either dropped or dismissed.
"We find out that he has a criminal arrest history. Did you hear me? Did you hear what I said? He is a member of the Colorado State Corrections System as a officer, and he has an arrest history," Judd said.
A total of 30 suspects were arrested in the two-week-long investigation that focused on sexual predators who target children and convicted sexual predators and offenders in an investigation called "Operation Child Protector." The Polk County Sheriff's office says they engage in these investigations twice a year.
"Justin needs to be in the system. He needs to be in prison. But it won't be in the Colorado prison system. It'll be in the Florida prison system," Judd said.
