Denver sheriff's deputy fired, accused of sexual assault and sending lewd photos while in uniform
A deputy with the Denver Sheriff Department has been fired after a department investigation found multiple women who claimed he sexually assaulted them while wearing his uniform.
According to the three-page investigation summary obtained by CBS News Colorado, the deputy in question, Deputy David Tadevosyan, also sent women explicit photos of himself in uniform. Sheriff's investigators believe some of the lewd selfies were taken in a women's bathroom at the downtown Denver jail.
CBS News Colorado has tried to contact Tadevosyan by phone, email and text message, but has not received a response to multiple inquiries.
The case summary obtained by CBS News Colorado says the 32-year-old deputy violated five department rules: sexual misconduct, immoral conduct, conduct while off duty in uniform, inappropriate computer use and conduct prejudicial.
Andrea Webber with the Denver's Department of Public Safety said Tadevosyan was hired in May 2022 and his employment ended Feb. 28 of this year. She said Tadevosyan had previously worked for the Denver Sheriff Department from November 2020 until August of 2021.
According to the case summary, citizen reports on Tadevosyan began Feb. 25, 2023, after a woman contacted the Mead Police Department saying she had met Tadevosyan on a dating website, and he had sent her pictures of himself in uniform.
She then posted his photo on a Facebook site called, "Are We Dating the Same Guy?"
The woman told police two other women responded to her post, "and alleged that David had sexually assaulted them."
The woman who contacted Mead Police told investigators that after meeting the deputy online, she agreed to meet him in person after 2 a.m. on Feb. 19 after he got off work. She said they met in a saloon parking lot, drove around and "made out."
One of the other women, who lives in Denver's Lowry neighborhood, provided investigators with photos she said she received from Tadevosyan, which showed him in full uniform displaying his genitals, the case summary said.
According to the case summary, investigators concluded the photos were taken in the Denver Detention Center's third-floor women's bathroom.
Another woman told investigators during a recorded interview she had met the deputy online, and he came to her house early one morning after completing his work shift. She said they initiated consensual sexual intercourse, but he began to engage in a sex act that she "verbally objected to, but he continued to penetrate her."
She said, "as she objected, she became fearful of him, and added that throughout this encounter he remained in full uniform and armed with his duty weapon."
The case summary says that woman also alleged Tadevosyan had sent her photos and videos of himself in uniform depicting him masturbating.
Webber said a Denver Police Department criminal investigation into Tadevosyan is inactive due to an uncooperative witness.
"The allegations against the former deputy are abhorrent," Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins said. "The Denver Sheriff Department will take swift action to address and remove individuals from our department who act in this matter, just as we did in this case."
Webber, with the Department of Public Safety, would not release a photo of the former deputy, because "uncharged suspects have privacy rights."
Webber said if Tadevosyan is charged, they will release his photo.
