Former Officer Pleads Guilty To Attempted Sexual Assault
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A former police officer in southern Colorado has been sentenced to more than a year in jail after pleading guilty to attempted sexual assault.
Former Pueblo Police Cpl. Benjamin Candelaria also pleaded guilty to official misconduct and must register as a sex offender.
Prosecutors dismissed a felony sexual assault charge as part of a plea agreement with Candelaria, who is 48.
Candelaria was arrested in November 2016 after a woman reported that he assaulted her after she called for help in a domestic violence case. According to the Pueblo Chieftain, the police department put Candelaria on leave after his arrest and he resigned a month later.
Authorities say the officer's body camera showed him having a sexual conversation with the woman, and then the body camera was turned off. The officer later admitted he had contact with the woman.
At his sentencing hearing on Friday, Candelaria apologized and said he takes responsibility for his actions.
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