EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) — A man will be behind bars for the foreseeable future after he pleaded guilty to Sexual Assault on a Child by One in a Position of Trust.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office reported that justice was served in a case dating back to 2020, thanks to a multi-agency effort that crossed international borders. In 2020, detectives with the Special Victims Unit (SVU) began investigating reports of sex crimes against a child in unincorporated El Paso County.
Following a two-year investigation, in April of 2022, probable cause was developed to arrest Bobby Allen Stark, 49, on the following charges:
- Sexual Assault on a Child
- Retaliation Against a Witness or Victim
- Intimidation of a Witness or Victim
- Bribing a Witness or Victim
- Multiple counts of Child Abuse
On April 30, 2022, Stark was taken into custody, where he was held without bail in the El Paso County Jail. Following his first court appearance, a bond of $25,000 was set for his release. Just days later, Stark posted bail on May 2, 2022, and fled the United States.
The trail went cold for months until a tip that Stark may be in Guyana, South America, was received. The Guyana Police Force Criminal Investigations Department took Stark into custody on May 12, 2023, with the assistance of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Guyana, the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Stark was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison with the Colorado Department of Corrections following his pleas.
During the sheriff's office investigation, they learned Stark had adopted a girl child and subjected her to repeated sexual abuse and threats involving a firearm. After it was brought forward, the child was removed from him via a court order. Following this, Stark tried to kidnap the girl to "be his wife".
“This case underscores the critical importance of law enforcement agencies working together with our federal and international partners to bring child predators to justice,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal regarding the case. “This individual shattered the innocence of a child and should never have had the chance to leave jail, much less continue trying to manipulate and reach his victim.
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