A 56-year-old Durango man has been arrested on suspicion of unlawful sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl at the Durango Public Library.
Paul Raymond Thompson, a registered sex offender, is being held at the La Plata County Jail without bail on suspicion of sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact and harassment.
Thompson is suspected of leering at two girls, ages 12 and 13, before allegedly grabbing the 13-year-old’s buttocks, according to the Durango Police Department.
“It was out in the open, it was on video,” said Police Chief Brice Current. “It was completely evident from the video.”
The 13-year-old’s friend chased Thompson and confronted him, Current said. Both girls then reported the incident to library staff members, who notified police.
“That decision to confront (him), it not only protects her friend there at the time but it also protects others,” Current said. “That little girl, she sent a powerful message to him and to others – and the community.”
Police were able to view the video and immediately identify Thompson. Officers went to Thompson’s home and made an arrest.
“Thank goodness the judge saw the danger and put a no-bond on him,” Current said.
The DPD issued a news release and posted about the arrest on its Facebook page.
“It’s good for offenders to know, if you go after a child we’re going to find you, expose you and arrest you,” Current said.
Police do not suspect other recent victims involving Thompson, but if anyone has had inappropriate contact with him, they are asked to report it to law enforcement.
Current did not immediately have details of Thompson’s previous crime, but he is listed on Colorado’s sex offender registry as having been convicted of criminal sexual conduct in another state in May 1995.
DPD reminded parents and caregivers to have conversations with young people about potential dangers and how to speak up.
“Reporting it immediately was the right thing to do, and it made all the difference,” the DPD wrote in the release. “If you’ve ever experienced something like this with this man, please come forward – we understand that it’s hard. But you’re not alone.”
shane@durangoherald.com
