Custer County sergeant accused of failing to report child abuse claims, fired by Sheriff
CUSTER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A sergeant, previously with the Custer County Sheriff's office, is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after allegedly failing to report child abuse claims reported to him.
According to court documents obtained by KRDO13 Investigates, Sgt. Jason Salbato was served with the charges on Feb. 27 after an investigation by Andrew Corey, the Chief Investigator for the 11th Judicial District Attorney's office, serving Fremont, Chaffee, Park, and Custer counties.
Corey's investigation came at the request of elected District Attorney Linda Stanley on Feb. 12 via an email to "investigate possible criminal charges on Salbato."
Corey's investigation found that Salbato received information that someone, whose name is redacted in court records, "had been beaten on the back with a belt." The arrest records says this person also de-enrolled from an unknown school after this incident occurred. Sgt. Salbato told the reporting party he would investigate and contact the Department of Human Services, court records say.
On multiple occasions after that date, Sgt. Salbato engaged in conversations with a DHS supervisor and was "called away and was unable to report the [child abuse] incident," court records describe.
A week later, that same DHS supervisor contacted Sgt. Salbato and told him DHS was contacted about the child abuse claims by someone, whose name is redacted in court records.
In concluding his report, Corey said the following: "Sgt. Salbato had many opportunities to send a text message, email, phone call or voicemail to the Department of Human Services over the entire seven-day period from the day it was originally reported to him. Sgt. Salbato also could have opened a case and
investigated the information he had received."
Custer County Undersheriff Susan Barnes tells KRDO13 Investigates Sgt. Salbato was fired after these charges were filed. She was unclear of the exact date. Barnes said the sheriff's office will not be providing comment on these allegations at this time.
Sgt. Salbato's defense attorney, John R. Newsome, said Sgt. Salbato maintains his innocence and they are still awaiting discovery and formal charges. Due to this, he was unwilling to provide further comment.
KRDO13 Investigates attempted to contact 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley for comment. However, we have not received a response.
Former Police Chief, and contributor for the National Police Association, Joel Shults read these court records and said, "It seems to me that the mandatory reporting requirement is very clear about the mandate to immediately make a report. Because the hotline is available 24/7 one would be hard pressed to claim that they couldn't get around to it. I think this is a sustainable and valid charge. As for the endangerment charge there is probably more room for interpretation, but probably a valid and sustainable charge.," Shults said.
Sgt. Salbato will be back in a Custer County courtroom, to hear if his charges will be amended or not, on May 7.
