FORT COLLINS, Colo.—A Fort Collins man has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges involving seven teenage girls and a judge allowed the man to return home in time for the holidays despite objections from prosecutors.
Forty-six-year-old James Swets faces 16 charges of sexual assault. He entered his not guilty plea in Larimer County Court Tuesday. His trial is set for May.
Authorities accuse Swets of providing alcohol and cigarettes to teenagers and enticing them to locations for sex. The Reporter-Herald reports () that Swets is the son of sculptor William Swets, whose family owns the Swetsville Zoo park in Timnath that features dozens of welded metal creatures.
District Judge Devin Odell ruled that Swets’ does not pose an immediate threat if allowed to live near the park.
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Information from: Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald,
