“Colorado Newspaper Thief Slammed for Suppressing Story on Rape Accusations Against Police Chief’s Son”

1. Local Colorado newspaper slams thief who stole HUNDREDS of papers reporting police chief’s stepson ‘violent rape of 17-year-old’
2. Colorado newspaper criticizes thief for stealing numerous papers exposing police chief’s stepson’s ‘violent assault on 17-year-old’.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : A Colorado newspaper has strongly condemned a thief responsible for the mysterious disappearance of hundreds of copies of its paper on the same day it broke a story about the son of the town’s police chief being accused of violently raping a 17-year-old girl. Ouray Police Chief Jeff Wood’s stepson, Nate Dieffenderffer, along with co-defendants Gabriel Trujillo and Ashton Whittington, has been charged with the rape of a girl in the family’s home while the police chief was asleep. The Ouray Plaindealer was the first outlet to report the arrest, but on the same day, numerous copies of the paper were stolen from around town.

The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office named Paul Choate, 41, as the thief after he turned himself in to the police. The newspaper stated that Choate had a long-standing grudge against the publication and, due to his lack of remorse, the decision was made to press charges. The journalists criticized Choate for attempting to suppress the public’s right to information and the freedom of the press.

In a statement released on Monday, the newspaper addressed the motive behind the theft, acknowledging that Choate was upset about the story regarding the sexual assault allegations at the police chief’s house. They emphasized their commitment to transparency, even if readers disagreed with their decision to report on the case.

Choate claimed that his actions were intended to protect the victim, but he also expressed his discontent with other articles published about local issues. The newspaper clarified that Choate harbored a grudge against them even before the story was written. Despite considering not releasing his name to prevent further harm to those involved, Choate removed that option when he confessed to the largest TV station in Colorado, leading to his citation.

The newspaper firmly stated that if Choate had shown genuine remorse, they would not have pursued charges. However, his attempt to prevent others from reading the story about a serious crime in Ouray County backfired, resulting in even more widespread attention. The newspaper stressed that Choate’s actions infringed upon the public’s right to know and the freedom of the press.

On January 20, Choate received a summons for petty theft. The Sheriff’s department clarified that he is not affiliated with local law enforcement or associated with the defendants in the sexual assault case. The stolen papers were taken on Thursday morning from various locations in the town.

Initially, the newspaper believed that the theft was an attempt to silence them and suppress the story. However, Choate revealed himself as the culprit in a Facebook post on Sunday. He turned himself in to the Sheriff’s office and returned the stolen papers, offering to compensate for any damages caused.

In a subsequent Facebook post on Monday, Choate explained that he became aware of the article set to be published the next morning on January 18. His motivation behind the theft was to highlight the importance of obtaining consent before publishing any explicit details or victim statements. Choate expressed his concern about revictimizing the girl involved and criticized the lack of resources provided in the previous article.

The newspaper had reported graphic sexual assault allegations detailed in a Colorado Bureau of Investigation affidavit. The 17-year-old accuser recounted being raped at least three times by two different individuals in a bedroom and bathroom on May 14, 2023. Wittington had just turned 18, Trujillo was 19, and Dieffenderffer was days away from turning 18 at the time of the alleged assault.

The accuser stated that she screamed and fought back during the assaults but was restrained. She described one of the suspects as laughing while another sat in a chair looking horrified but failed to intervene. She was then taken to a bathroom where she was raped by two different people. The victim recalled trying to yell and screaming due to the pain, eventually chipping a tooth as her head was held down.

After regaining consciousness, the accuser fled the house but couldn’t find her clothes, grabbing a sweatshirt from a pile of laundry instead. The sweatshirt was later identified as belonging to Police Chief Wood, who has not been implicated in the case. The victim sought medical attention on the same day, and evidence was gathered during a sexual assault examination.

Initially, the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office took an initial report at the hospital, but the case was later referred to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to avoid any conflicts of interest. DNA evidence from a vaginal swab matched Trujillo, while Dieffenderffer’s genetic material was found in a bite mark, according to the investigators.

Trujillo told investigators that he and Dieffenderffer previously had a consensual three-way sexual relationship. He claimed to be a mere witness to the events on May 14, stating that the accuser and Dieffenderffer went to the bathroom and emerged fully clothed after ten minutes, seemingly fine. Trujillo referred to the teen girl as a pathological liar and attention-seeker.

In conclusion, a Colorado newspaper has condemned the theft of its papers on the day it broke a story about the son of the town’s police chief being accused of a violent rape. The thief, Paul Choate, harbored a grudge against the publication and attempted to suppress the public’s right to information. The newspaper highlighted the importance of consent and resources when reporting on sensitive topics. The case involving the rape allegations is ongoing, with DNA evidence linking the defendants to the crime..

1. Local Colorado newspaper slams thief who stole papers revealing police chief’s stepson’s violent rape of a 17-year-old
2. Colorado newspaper criticizes thief who stole numerous papers exposing police chief’s stepson’s brutal sexual assault of a 17-year-old.