LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A former Lakewood police officer was arrested for allegedly having multiple sexual encounters with women while on duty and misusing police database systems.
Christopher Gearhart, 42, is facing six counts of first-degree official misconduct and four counts of cybercrime after his arrest by Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Tuesday.
The allegations against Gearhart first came to light in July of 2025, following an internal report by other Lakewood police agents of claims made against him, according to the Lakewood Police Department.
Gearhart, who joined the department in 2019, was placed on administrative leave while the investigation was underway. He resigned from the department in September of 2025, Lakewood police said.
According to an arrest affidavit, Gearhart is accused of having on-duty sexual encounters with multiple women while wearing his uniform between July 2023 and July 2025.
Many of the victims were women Gearhart arrested for various offenses or stopped for traffic violations, the affidavit read.
One victim recounted being coerced into having sexual intercourse with the suspect in a dark, secluded parking lot, the court documents say.
Other times, the suspect allegedly engaged in on-duty sexual relations multiple times with another victim while he was parked in his patrol car behind a Lakewood funeral home, according to the affidavit.
In all, investigators talked to at least seven victims who alleged sexual misconduct against the suspect, according to the documents.
During an interview, the married Gearhart, who told investigators he met his wife during a traffic stop, allegedly admitted to having sex with multiple women encountered while on duty, and acknowledged that all the alleged misconduct occurred while he was being paid as an officer.
"The badge represents a sacred bond between this organization and the citizens of Lakewood. To see that bond violated is not just a breach of policy; it is a betrayal of everything we stand for," Lakewood Chief of Police Philip Smith said in a press release. "Abhorrent behavior has never been tolerated, and it will never be tolerated, in the Lakewood Police Department.”
According to the affidavit, when asked by investigators how many women he had sex with while on duty, he replied, "too many, one too many."
Gearhart is also accused of repeatedly muting or disabling his body-worn camera and using law enforcement databases to search for information on his victims and their family members.
According to the documents, Gearhart currently works as a non-sworn Homeland Security booking deputy at an ICE facility in Denver.
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