A Northglenn man who reportedly posed as search and rescue personnel in July 2023 and sexually assaulted a woman on a trail near Nederland received a sentence of probation and work release in the case, according to a Boulder County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman.

In the 2023 case, William Tidwell, 52, was initially charged with sexual assault — no consent; second-degree assault — strangulation; and unlawful sexual contact. However, on Jan. 3, he pleaded guilty to sexual assault — no consent. Upon entering the plea, the remaining charges were dismissed.

Investigators also uncovered a sex trafficking operation at Tidwell’s home when they investigated the Nederland case. They filed additional charges against Tidwell in two related cases in Adams County, according to court records. Those charges included human trafficking for sexual servitude; sexual exploitation of a child — possession of exploitative material; attempted sexual assault on a child — victim between 15 and 18; and second-degree assault — causing serious bodily injury. Adams County District Court Judge Jeffrey Ruff on March 5 sentenced Tidwell to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Tidwell was sentenced Friday to 20 years of probation under the Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program and two years of work release, which will be served after his sentence for the Adams County cases, according to Boulder County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Shannon Carbone. Since he received an indeterminate sentence, Tidwell could receive anywhere from 20 years to life on probation.

“This case was the result of the hard work of the Boulder County Sheriff’s office, Adams County District Attorney, and FBI,” said Chief Trial Deputy District Attorney Christine Rinke for Boulder County. “This was an incredibly scary and predatory assault by (Tidwell). The sentence today reflects the seriousness of these three cases as a whole.”

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a sexual assault and assault on July 25, 2023, near Caribou Road and Forest Service Road 505 in unincorporated Boulder County, outside of Nederland, according to a press release.

A woman reported that she was hiking in the area when a man approached her while driving “a search and rescue vehicle.” The man offered her a ride to a different trail in the area, before proceeding to sexually and physically assault her. She was able to leave the man and immediately reported the incident to the sheriff’s office.

The woman told police that Tidwell was wearing a green collared shirt styled to look like a search and rescue uniform shirt, and she believed him to be part of an official search and rescue organization.

After he was taken into custody on Aug. 7, 2023, investigators uncovered evidence “that he manipulated and coerced vulnerable individuals into exploitative situations through psychological abuse, threats and physical violence” at his home in Northglenn.

Officials said Tidwell’s crimes in Adams County reportedly occurred between July 2020 and July 2023.

Authorities said that Tidwell lured women under the guise of providing them stability and support, only to control them through coercion and force, ultimately subjecting them to sexual servitude, according to a release.

“Some were isolated from family and friends, with Tidwell controlling their finances, movements and personal lives,” the release said. “Investigators found that he targeted young individuals, particularly young women in difficult situations, grooming them through emotional manipulation before escalating to outright exploitation.”

Evidence showed that he directed and profited from sex work involving multiple victims, “further solidifying his role as a trafficker”, according to the release.

Authorities also discovered thousands of illicit images and videos on Tidwell’s electronic devices, including child sexual abuse material. Evidence showed that he sought out minors online, engaged in predatory conversations and attempted to recruit additional victims.

“This was a calculated predator who built a system of control designed to exploit and abuse young women,” said Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason. “He preyed on vulnerable individuals, using lies, intimidation, and violence to manipulate his victims into submission … Human trafficking is real — it happens here in Adams County and throughout Colorado.”

Carbone said that stipulations of Tidwell’s sentence include completing an updated psycho-sexual evaluation when he’s released into the sex offender probation program, sex offender treatment, a mental health evaluation, no alcohol or drugs, forfeiture of any weapons or firearms and no contact with any victims or anyone under the age of 18.