PARKER, Colo. — A former Parker police sergeant who resigned amid an investigation in February was arrested Friday on unlawful sexual conduct and official misconduct charges.
The charges against former Sgt. Troy Brienzo, 31, stem from alleged incidents involving two adult victims, according to a Monday press release from the Parker Police Department. The incidents allegedly occurred during ride-alongs, according to the indictment obtained by Denver7.
He's been charged with two counts of felony unlawful sexual conduct by a peace officer, one count of misdemeanor unlawful sexual contact and four counts of misdemeanor official misconduct, according to the release.
Brienzo was put on administrative leave Jan. 7 after the department learned of an alleged incident and an outside law enforcement agency began conducting an investigation, an earlier release said. Brienzo resigned Feb. 13, according to the release.
In the first incident described in the indictment, Brienzo allegedly brought up sexual topics repeatedly on a ride-along and asked the person on the ride-along if it would “ruin their relationship” if he asked if they wanted to “pull over to the side of the road and have sex in the back of his cop car.”
The victim told him they would say no because “he was an advisor in a mentor position,” according to the indictment.
The victim told investigators he also asked about their age range for sexual partners. When they answered, he allegedly said they should consider older partners, according to the court filing.
He also allegedly asked for a nude photo and later groped the person during a pat-down at the station that night, “which is inconsistent with a routine pat down search,” according to the indictment.
It is not clear from the redacted indictment what program Brienzo and the person on the ride-along were a part of, nor is the person's gender.
In the other incident alleged in the document, Brienzo and someone he had an “intimate relationship” with had sex in his cop car during a ride-along.
Under Parker Police Department Policy, “sexual misconduct is any sexual activity while on-duty or stemming from official duty," the document said.
"We recognize the seriousness of these charges and remain committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the trust of the Parker community," the Monday release from Parker Police said. "As this is now an active criminal case, no further details will be released at this time."
He is set to appear in court April 13.
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