A Montezuma County man who previously lived in Durango has been charged with sexually assaulting a former romantic partner’s daughter, a minor, according to a La Plata County Sheriff’s Office affidavit.
According to the affidavit, the girl’s mother contacted the Sheriff’s Office in 2022, reporting that her ex-boyfriend, then 49-year-old Jason Burton, had raped her daughter repeatedly over the four years they were together.
A forensic interview was conducted, the affidavit said. In August 2023, a Sheriff’s Office investigator contacted Burton for a phone interview. Burton allegedly said he had not done anything inappropriate with the girl – unprompted by the investigator, the affidavit said.
“During the conversation, (the investigator) didn’t ask many questions; Burton offered most of the information without questioning,” the affidavit said.
The next day, the investigator met with Burton at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office in Cortez to continue the interview. Burton again opened the conversation by denying he had ever touched the girl inappropriately.
“At this point in the conversation, (the investigator) had not informed Burton of the purpose of this investigation,” the affidavit said. “He seemed to want to make clear that he wasn’t involved in sexual activity or inappropriate activity with (the girl).”
Throughout the interview, Burton maintained that nothing inappropriate occurred and said he had tried to act as a father figure to the girl, according to the affidavit.
However, he refused to take a polygraph test, adding that “girls can use allegations of sexual assault against someone to get the girl out of trouble.” He suggested the girl take a polygraph test to make sure she was not lying.
Burton was allowed to leave. Investigators then conducted fake text and phone conversations with Burton between December 2023 and January 2025, posing as the girl.
Throughout the conversations, Burton maintained he had not acted inappropriately, the affidavit said. He suggested the girl may have hallucinated the events due to taking cold medicine and that another person may have committed the acts – despite saying he would have defended her from anyone.
“On (July 23, 2024), Burton sent a picture of a naked girl in a shower through the pretext conversation,” the affidavit said. “When asked, he denied sending the picture.”
In August, 2025, a follow-up interview was conducted with the alleged victim, who maintained Burton had continually assaulted her throughout the time he and her mother were dating.
The investigator concluded that there was probable cause to believe Burton committed sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, a felony.
Burton was being held Wednesday in the La Plata County Jail on a $250,000 bail.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
