(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — A man has been captured in South America after he fled the United States following an investigation by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) into reports of sex crimes against a child.
52-year-old Bobby Allen Stark was arrested in Guyana, South America on May 12, 2023, after an investigation was launched in October of 2020.
According to the EPSO, deputies originally responded on Oct. 19, 2020 to an address in unincorporated El Paso County on a report of sex crimes against a child.
EPSO said the case was handed over to detectives with the Special Victim’s Unit (SVU), and after a “lengthy and complex” investigation, probable cause was established to arrest Stark on multiple charges, including:
- Multiple counts of sexual assault on a child
- Retaliation against a witness or victim
- Intimidation of a witness or victim
- Bribing a witness or victim
- Multiple counts of child abuse
On April 30, 2022, detectives arrested Stark and booked him into the El Paso County Jail, to be held without bond. However, after his first appearance in court, Stark’s bond was reduced to $25,000, and he bonded out of jail on May 2, 2022.
After bonding out, EPSO said Stark fled the country, and his whereabouts were unknown for several months. A recent tip led law enforcement to believe that Stark had been hiding in Guyana, and further investigation pinpointed his location, EPSO said.
On Friday, May 12, officers with the Guyana Police Force Criminal Investigations Department arrested Stark, and he remains in federal custody. EPSO said their office is working with federal authorities to return Stark to El Paso County to face his charges.
EPSO thanked the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Guyana Police Force, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for their assistance in locating and apprehending Stark along with the assistance of the United States Marshal Service (USMS).
