FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A Larimer County man accused of sexually assaulting a child in 2002 was found in Switzerland and extradited back to the United States in April.
In 2002, detectives with the Fort Collins Police Services filed multiple charges against James Bachmann, 55, for sexual assault on a child, sexual exploitation of a child and possession of a controlled substance, according to FCPS.
But before he could be prosecuted, the man failed to appear for court and seemed to have disappeared from the area.
Sixteen years later, in August 2018, police received a tip about where Bachmann was, and detectives with the Criminal Impact Unit discovered he was living in Switzerland, according to FCPS.
Detectives worked with authorities, including Interpol, to complete a red notice, which is an international alert for a person wanted for extradition.
During the investigation, the detectives learned that Bachmann often visited Asia and Europe. They also found out that he planned to travel from Indonesia to Doha, Qatar in the spring of 2019. After working alongside the Department of Justice and Department of State, Qatari officials confirmed they would detain Bachmann. A Fort Collins detective and two US Marshals flew out to help.
On April 25, 2019, Bachmann was extradited back to Larimer County. He was booked into the Larimer County Jail and is being held on a $2 million cash bond.
“We’re extremely grateful to our local, national, and international partners who helped successfully locate and extradite this suspect,” said FCPS Chief Jeff Swoboda. “I’m also incredibly proud of the detectives who went above and beyond to bring Bachmann back to face prosecution.”