Man arrested for alleged sexual assault at University of Colorado

Legally Reviewed by Shazam Kianpour on September 22, 2026

A man was arrested after police accused him of sexual assault at a University of Colorado campus. According to reports, police said the man knew the reported victim and pointed to text messages between the two as part of the basis for the arrest.

An arrest on a sexual assault allegation is not the same thing as a conviction, and Colorado law still requires the prosecution to prove every element of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt before a court can find anyone guilty. At Shazam Kianpour & Associates, our Denver sex crimes defense team represents college students and other clients across the Front Range who are under investigation or already facing a sexual assault charge, and we work to make sure an accusation is not treated as though it has already been proven.

How a Sexual Assault Case Moves Through the Colorado Court System

An arrest is only the first step in a Colorado criminal case. After police make an arrest or a district attorney’s office decides to file charges, the case typically proceeds through an advisement, where a judge informs the accused of the charges and possible penalties, followed by a preliminary hearing or a direct filing of formal charges, then a series of pretrial hearings before any trial date is set. At each stage, the defense has the right to review the evidence the prosecution intends to use, including police reports, witness statements, and any electronic records.

Because these cases can move quickly once charges are filed, the early stages are often when the most useful defense work happens. Attorneys use this window to request full discovery, identify witnesses who have not yet been interviewed, and evaluate whether the evidence described in a police report actually supports every element of the charge.

What Colorado Law Requires the Prosecution to Prove

Sexual assault charges in Colorado are governed primarily by C.R.S. 18-3-402, which criminalizes sexual contact, intrusion, or penetration accomplished without consent, and by related sections covering assaults involving force, incapacitation, or a victim who could not legally consent. Depending on the specific allegations, a sexual assault charge can be filed as a felony or, in some circumstances involving factors like a close age gap between the parties, as a class 1 misdemeanor. Penalties range widely, and a felony conviction can carry years in prison along with mandatory sex offender registration.

In every version of the charge, the prosecution must prove the sexual contact occurred, that it was not consensual, and that the accused acted with the required mental state. None of these elements is assumed simply because an arrest was made. According to RAINN’s summary of Colorado’s sex crime statutes, penalties and classifications vary significantly depending on factors such as the victim’s age, the use of force, and whether the victim was physically helpless, which is one reason these cases require a careful, fact-specific defense rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

How Digital Evidence Like Text Messages Gets Used and Challenged

Text messages and other digital communications have become common evidence in sex crime investigations, and they can cut in either direction. Prosecutors may point to messages sent before or after an alleged incident to argue about what the parties understood at the time. Defense attorneys, in turn, routinely request the complete message thread, not just the excerpts highlighted in a police report, because a single message read out of context can look very different from the full conversation.

Courts generally require the prosecution to authenticate digital records and establish how they were obtained before a jury can consider them. A defense attorney can challenge whether messages were taken out of sequence, whether metadata supports the timeline the state is presenting, and whether the messages actually establish what the prosecution claims they show.

Consequences Beyond the Courtroom for College Students

For a college student, a sexual assault allegation can trigger consequences that run on a separate track from the criminal case. Most universities, including those in the University of Colorado system, maintain Title IX and student conduct processes that can result in suspension, expulsion, or a permanent notation on a student’s academic record, sometimes before a criminal case is even resolved. These campus proceedings use a different standard of proof than a criminal court and do not offer all the same procedural protections.

A conviction can also follow a person well beyond graduation. Background checks for jobs, professional licensing, housing applications, and graduate school admissions can all be affected by a sex crime conviction, which is why understanding both the criminal case and any parallel school proceeding matters from the outset.

Building a Defense in a Sexual Assault Case

A strong defense in a sex crime case typically starts with a careful review of how the investigation was conducted. That includes examining whether the accused was properly advised of his rights, whether any statements were made voluntarily, and whether the evidence cited in the arrest, including any digital communications, actually supports the specific charge filed. Inconsistencies between a complaining witness’s initial statement and later accounts, gaps in the timeline, and questions about consent are all areas a defense attorney will typically investigate.

Because these cases can affect a person’s freedom, education, and future for years to come, working with an attorney early, ideally before any formal statement is given to police, gives the defense the best opportunity to identify weaknesses in the state’s case before charges harden into a specific theory.

What Sex Offender Registration Can Mean in Colorado

One reason sexual assault charges carry such weight is the possibility of mandatory sex offender registration following a conviction. Colorado’s Sex Offender Registration Act generally requires registration for a set number of years, and in some cases for life, depending on the specific offense and any prior record. Registration affects where a person can live and work, and it is a matter of public record that can be searched by employers, landlords, and neighbors.

Because registration consequences are triggered by a conviction, not by an arrest or an accusation, they underscore why contesting the underlying charge, rather than assuming a plea is inevitable, is worth exploring with an attorney before any decision is made about how to proceed.

What to Do If You Are Under Investigation

If you learn that police are investigating an allegation against you, whether through a phone call, a visit from an officer, or a notice from a school, a few steps matter more than others. You have the right to remain silent and the right to have an attorney present for any questioning, and exercising both rights early does not make you look guilty. It simply preserves your ability to respond to the actual evidence once you and your attorney have seen it.

It is also worth preserving your own records, including phone messages, emails, and any documentation of your whereabouts, since evidence that could support your account can be lost or become harder to verify over time. An attorney can advise on what to preserve and how to handle contact from investigators, campus officials, or the reported victim’s representatives without harming your position.

Speak With a Denver Sex Crimes Defense Attorney

Shazam Kianpour has represented clients in more than 10,000 criminal and traffic cases across the Denver area and has been licensed to practice in Colorado since 2004. Our firm has defended college students and other clients facing sex crime allegations throughout the Front Range, and we understand how quickly a campus incident can turn into a felony case with permanent consequences.

If you or someone you know is under investigation or has been arrested on a sexual assault allegation, the choices made in the first days of the case can affect everything that follows. Contact our office through our firm overview page to discuss the allegations and how our team can help protect your rights.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Assault Charges in Colorado

Source: CBS Denver, “CU Police Arrest Sex Assault Suspect,” Aug. 21, 2013; RAINN, “Sex Crimes: Definitions and Penalties, Colorado,” accessed September 2026

Written by

Shazam Kianpour

Denver Criminal Defense Attorney & Founder, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C. — Over 10,000 criminal and traffic cases handled across Colorado.