The former principal of the Denver International School is being held on $1 million bail, accused of systematically raping a young girl at two apartments in Denver.
Herve Alain Jardonnet, 45, also is accused by the alleged victim, now 16, of attacking her at a house in the south of France.
Jardonnet, who is a French citizen, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Denver International Airport on Monday after he arrived on a flight from London.
Jardonnet made his second appearance in Denver County court today, where he was formally advised of myriad charges against him. These include five counts of sexual assault on a child.
According to an arrest-warrant affidavit, the girl told investigators that she was raped from April 2004 through August 2006, when she was under the care of Jardonnet and lived with him.
She described Jardonnet as a man who became violent when drinking and who would drag her into a bedroom and rape her.
During the two-year period, she said she was raped “many times,” the first time when she was 11 years old.
She said any time she tried to fight back, Jardonnet would beat her. She said she could do little because of the weight difference and his size, according to the arrest affidavit.
One time, when she was able to break free of Jardonnet, he grabbed a knife from a kitchen and swung it, cutting her left thigh, she alleged.
According to the affidavit, Jardonnet is now the principal of a school in Spain. While at the Denver International School, a multilingual private school, he was both principal and taught a math course, according to the affidavit.
The young woman told investigators that Jardonnet said she was “worthless and would not amount to much in life.”
The teenager also mentioned that when she was attacked in the house in southern France, she knocked over a lamp, breaking it during her struggle with Jardonnet.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Denver said they arrested Jardonnet on an outstanding nationwide warrant. After they confirmed Jardonnet’s identity, he was turned over to Denver police.
Lynn Kimbrough, spokesperson for the Denver district attorney’s office, said that charges were filed against Jardonnet in January by the DA’s office, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
