A Colorado corrections officers employed at the Fremont Correctional Prison, Canon City, is one of dozens arrested in a nationwide Florida investigation for sexual predators.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that on February 6, Justin Sturtevant, 45, “engaged in a conversation online with an undercover investigator who was posing a 14-year old girl.”
Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff, said in a recent press conference: “I thought I’d introduce Justin Sturtevant.” He was holding Sturtevant’s mugshot. “That’s right. He’s a corrections agent. Did you hear me? He’s sending her pictures of his junk, thinking he was grooming a female 14 years old. Turns out it’s our undercover detective.”
During the conversation, the sheriff’s office reported that the undercover detective repeatedly told Sturtevant “she” only was 14. Sturtevant, however, sent an explicit sexual image to the undercover investigator and “initiated sexually-explicit conversations” despite this information.
According to arrest papers obtained 13 Investigates, Sturtevant was allegedly messaging the girl under the username “funguy0175” on social media sites. The messages began with him asking her if she was “curious” about sexual stuff.
Sturtevant continued the conversation by saying “you sound curious, but scared, but ready to try new things.” He continued to make sexually suggestive remarks towards the young woman, including comments about having hypothetical sex with her.
Sturtevant is accused of telling the girl he was only 17 years old and that it is fine that she is younger. The detective repeatedly stated that she was only 14 years old during the conversation.
Sturtevant allegedly sent a sexually explicit photo of his private parts, and then asked the girl for it in return. The detective ends the conversation after repeatedly asking her for them.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Sturtevant is facing the following charges: One count of criminal usage of a two way communication device (F2); one count of transmission harmful material to a juvenile (F3); and one count of using a computer to ask a child to have sex with him (F2).
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s office they arrested Sturtevant on February 23, at his home in Pueblo West. He is still in the Pueblo County Jail and will be transported to Polk County, Florida at a future date.
13 Investigates contacted the Colorado Department of Corrections to inquire about the current status of Sturtevant. We are still waiting for a response.
Judd, however, claims that Sturtevant had a criminal record, but that the charges against him were either dismissed or dropped.
“We discover that he has criminal arrest records.” Did you hear me? Did you hear me? He is an officer in the Colorado State Corrections System and has a history of arrests,” Judd said.
In the two-week investigation, titled “Operation Child Protector,” 30 suspects have been arrested. The investigation focused on sexual predators that target children as well as convicted sexual predators. Polk County Sheriff’s Office says that they conduct these investigations twice a yearly.
“Justin needs be in the system.” He must be in prison. But it won’t happen in Colorado prison system. Judd said that it would be in Florida’s prison system.
