Retired Pueblo Co. Sheriff Lieutenant pleads guilty to attempted sexual assault to avoid prison time

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A former Pueblo County Sheriff's Lieutenant pleaded guilty to attempting to sexually assault a female who works for the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office. In exchange for a guilty plea, the retired law enforcement officer will not spend a day in prison.

According to court documents, the reported assault happened in September 2022. Diego Duran, 55, was accused of trying to assault the victim in his truck while the victim was on her lunch break. Duran retired amid an internal affairs investigation on January 12, 2023.

Duran, a 30-year veteran of the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, admitted to attempted sexual assault - but he'll only have to spend multiple years on Colorado's Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program rather than receive any prison time.

Colorado's Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program is essentially a period of probation typically reserved for people who are considered "low risk" to re-offend. If Duran does re-offend, he could face prison time.

This plea agreement is still pending the approval, and subsequent sentencing, from a Pueblo County judge.

The criminal case was prosecuted by a "special prosector" from the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office in El Paso County. Pueblo County DA Jeff Chostner tells 13 Investigates prosecuting this case would have been a conflict for him because the named victim works for the DA's office.

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