Did Jack Gardner, a longtime detective with the Boulder Police Department, warn a child-luring suspect in advance to prevent him from becoming ensnared in a sting operation? Prosecutors think so, and if they're right, Gardner has definitely landed in schmucky territory. We've got photos, details about the man Gardner's accused of helping (he wound up getting busted anyhow), and the arrest affidavit that led to charges against the detective and his subsequent resignation from the force.
See also: Joseph Ellsworth, Ex-Denver Cop Turned Sex Offender: Attempted Child Sex Assault Bust
The focus of the original investigation was Kahlil Peckham, whose online signature leads to a StBaldricks.orgpost about him shaving his head back in 2009 to raise funds to fight childhood cancer. Here's the wacky photo that accompanied the item:
Peckham apparently liked the aerodynamic look. The following screen capture from a 2013 post on the Colorado Beer Scribe blog shows him sans up-top follicles: The aforementioned warrant makes no mention of Peckham's most recent employment -- but it details his alleged off-the-job proclivities. In late May, he's said to have put up a Craigslist advertisement identified by law enforcers as "suspicious." As seen in the ad (obtained by Fox31), he was on the lookout for "a nerdy furry/kink/bondage girl:" The text doesn't specifically state that his ideal mate was younger than the age of consent -- but the affidavit says he responded in a big way to a detective pretending to be a thirteen-year-old. The pair allegedly exchanged more than 700 text and computer messages over the span of a few days, including some "describing explicit sexual conduct."
By early June, BPD detectives had arranged a meeting at which they hoped to bust Peckham for Internet luring with intent to engage in sexual contact. But before the slated rendezvous, Peckham sent the fictional object of his desire a text message saying he'd been advised against getting together. He subsequently forwarded an e-mail that reads, "WARNING!!! DO NOT MEET TODAY W/13 YOA GIRL!!"
Continue for more about the arrest and resignation of Boulder Detective Jack Gardner, including additional photos and the arrest affidavit. Peckham apparently thought the message had been sent by the girl's parents. But after securing a warrant to search Peckham's residence and seizing assorted electronic devices (some of which included "images believed to be child pornography"), the e-mail was traced to an account that had been created by Gardner.
A member of the department since 1998, Gardner was part of the Internet Crimes Against Children team but had been inadvertently excluded from the Peckham operation. Moreover, the specific message reportedly moved through the router used by the Boulder cops' undercover units.
The affidavit includes the following activity log of Gardner's apparent connection to the message:
When confronted with this evidence, how did Gardner respond? An excerpt from the report reads: "Detective Gardner stated that he had left his undercover e-mail account and the Craigslist posting from Kahlil Peckham up on the screen of his Macbook and left his work station. He proposed that another unknown person took that opportunity to send the warning message to Kahlil Peckham while he was away from his desk."
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This explanation didn't satisfy authorities. Gardner was arrested in late September, and earlier this month, he was formally charged with being an accessory to a crime, plus official misconduct and obstructing a peace officer. The following day, he resigned.
Peckham, for his part, faces four separate allegations, including Internet sexual exploitation of a child. Whoever sent that warning, it clearly arrived too late.
Here's a look at booking photos for Gardner and Peckham, followed by the arrest affidavit.
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