Charges against an Adams County Sheriff’s deputy, who was accused of raping his estranged wife and briefly holding her captive, were dismissed on Thursday.
Aurora police , 43, in June 2014.
According to an arrest warrant, Belmont was arrested after his estrange wife went to the Medical Center of Aurora and earlier that night at his home. The woman told police that after the assault, Belmont refused to let her go for at least an hour.
The Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office charged Belmont with one felony count of sex assault by force or threat and one misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment.
Both charges were dismissed by prosecutors during a hearing on Thursday, according to state court records.
“We have an ethical obligation in cases to make sure we maintain a good faith basis to believe that the defendant is guilty of the crimes we’ve accused him of committing as well as a reasonable likelihood of success at trial,” said 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler. “When either one or both of those things cease to be true we are ethically obligated to dismiss charges against a person and they remain presumed innocent of those charges.”
A jury trial scheduled to begin on April 13 has been vacated.
Belmont has been employed by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office since 2004.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794, jsteffen@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jsteffendp
