Trinidad man found guilty after being caught by CSPD-led Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)--The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is the lead agency for the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Colorado ICAC Task Force investigates people who sexually exploit and lure Colorado’s most vulnerable victims, according to CSPD. That task force is comprised of approximately 98 affiliate law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

CSPD said the Colorado Springs ICAC Task Force is comprised of detectives from the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, and a Special Agent with the Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division.

Lt. Owen Scott with CSPD said there has been a substantial increase in cyber tips across Colorado over the last five years. Since July 2023, the task force received 5,688 cyber tips, 850 more than the previous year.

"The access, I think to social media and internet and a lot of things are a lot higher than it was last year or two years ago, five years ago, especially for children," said Scott.

In January 2023, the CSPD's ICAC task force started an undercover investigation against 31-year-old Aaron Thompson. CSPD said there was an online conversation that led Thompson to drive all the way from Trinidad to Colorado Springs for the purpose of meeting a minor for sex. The only people he met with were the cops. Thompson was arrested in February.

"We try to be proactive and catch them before they actually do it to a real person," said Scott.

On August 3, 2023, a jury found Mr. Thompson guilty on the charges of Conspiracy to commit Sexual Assault on a Child and Attempt to commit Sexual Assault on a Child.

Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2023.