Pueblo man accused of forcing child to drink alcohol and smoke pot before alleged sex assaults

Editor's note: This story includes graphic details about child sex assault

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -After a five-month-long investigation, Pueblo Police detectives arrested 45-year-old Paul Pearson Jr. on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.

RELATED: Pueblo man arrested for sex assault on a child, kidnapping, and other charges

According to an arrest affidavit, officers received information regarding a family disturbance on March 11, 2023. A child was picked up by the reporting party and waited for police at a school.

An officer reported that the child's face was red, and eyes were swollen from crying. They observed blood drying on the left side of the child's lip.

Court documents allege the child got into an argument with Pearson about being able to leave the house.

According to court documents, Pearson allegedly went into a room to grab a hair styling tool. Eventually, those documents claim Pearson smashed the hair tool on the side of the wall and hit the child over the head with it. Then, the child attempted to leave the house but they suffered an injury to the left side of the face and had a bloody lip where Pearson allegedly slammed a door on the child's face. The child was eventually able to leave the house.

According to court documents, a person who heard screaming nearby called police.

The child was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated for their injuries, according to the affidavit.

In the affidavit, it states that officers tried to contact Pearson multiple times with no success. After the officer spoke with a supervisor it was determined to stop trying to contact Pearson for officer safety.

Court documents state that an officer spoke with Pearson's old romantic partner. The woman claims Pearson use to physically assault her. The woman claims she did not know the living dynamic of Pearson and the kids since they usually only visit once a year.

The affidavit states that the child reported that Pearson had been sexually abusing them since December 2017.

"He would hold me down. He would cover my mouth. I--I was so small that his body weight of, like 200 some pounds, you know, I couldn't really move," said the child in court documents.

The child then reports to a forensic interviewer that Pearson would make them smoke weed.

The child claims, quote, "That way I wouldn't kick or scream or do anything for that matter."

The child also stated Pearson would force them to drink alcohol. The victim claims they were never allowed to sip, instead, they were only allowed to chug.

Pueblo Police said Pearson was arrested on charges including second-degree kidnapping, false imprisonment, sexual assault on a child, third-degree assault, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and more.

Pearson is now booked in the Pueblo County Jail on a $100,000 bond.