JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. – A former Lakewood officer who has twice now being accused of sex crimes against women was charged Thursday in connection with a third case dating back to 2014, police records show.
Randall Butler, 37, who was charged in December with sexually assaulting a woman and later arrested earlier this month on suspicion of attempted sex assault after another victim came forward, was charged Thursday with unlawful sexual contact, first-degree official misconduct and official oppression after a third victim told police Butler had groped her while she was returning home from a night out in Lakewood back in 2014.
An arrest affidavit obtained by Denver7 states that on January 9, a woman called the Lakewood Police Department saying she was a victim of Butler, and that she wanted to come forward and share her story after seeing an article of the former officer online.
The woman told an investigator working on the case the assault happened on July 29, 2014, as she was walking home in the area of W. Colfax Ave. and Allison St. from a bar after a night out with friends.
The victim told investigators that as she was walking home, she was stopped by Butler who started asking her questions as to what she was doing. She said she told Butler she had been drinking and that she thought she was doing the right thing by walking home, the affidavit states.
The woman recalled being patted down by Butler, telling investigators she felt “a little weird” from the “vibe” of Butler, asking him if she had done something wrong. Butler then reportedly said he was there for her safety and that he would get her home.
The victim recounted how Butler asked even more questions and told her he would take her home, later threatening her with charging her for public intoxication after she declined his offer. The victim told investigators that at that point she felt scared that she would be arrested, so she accepted a ride.
The affidavit states the victim was driven to her mom’s home and described Butler as parking between two street lights in a dark area. She told investigators Butler then exited the vehicle and came to the rear passenger side to let her out and said Butler came toward her and lifted up her shirt and felt her breast. The woman then told investigators she told Butler to stop and demanded that he give her his police badge number and card. Reluctantly, Butler handed her a card, according to investigators.
After she went inside the house, the victim said the card was blank and immediately woke up her mom to tell her what had happened. The victim told investigators that since she had been drinking, she started writing everything she could remember about the alleged assault in her cell phone, additionally telling investigators she keeps a diary for personal use.
The woman told investigators she didn’t immediately report the alleged assault because she was afraid no one would believe her over a police officer “whose word is taken so highly.” But after seeing Butler’s face, she said she immediately felt guilty and decided to report him to police.
The affidavit states an investigator working on the case searched to see if Butler had been working at the time of the alleged sex assault which was confirmed by information from a call of service log, which placed Butler in the area where the victim claims she was stopped by police.
Two days after speaking with police, a Lakewood Police Department Victim Advocate met with the victim and the victim allowed police to take photos of her journal, also showing investigators a screenshot of the note she took on her cell phone that day in 2014 about the alleged attack.
“The Modus Operandi for the cases are similar, and the incidents resulted from Butler providing transport to females,” the affidavit states.
Butler resigned on Nov. 26 after he was arrested on two counts of sexual assault and accused of sexually assaulting a woman whom he’d offered a ride to on Nov. 16. Lakewood police continue to seek other possible victims of Butler’s and ask anyone with information on him and his actions while he was an officer to call their tip line at 303-763-6800.
Butler, who appeared in court Friday morning on an advisement hearing, is being held on a $10,000 bond which had not yet been posted as of Friday afternoon.
