An Arizona state trooper is facing allegations of unlawful sexual contact involving a woman who was stranded beside the road after being involved in a hit-and-run crash.
Aiden Rosebeck, 35, of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS), was arrested after the woman reported the alleged incident to the local sheriff’s office.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said Rosebeck initially responded to the woman’s emergency call on Sunday. Deputies later went to the area near Benson, about 50 miles southwest of Tucson, after receiving a request to check on a distressed woman alongside the roadway.
When deputies arrived, the woman alleged that the trooper had engaged in “inappropriate sexual conduct” while investigating the hit-and-run, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities have not released specific details about the alleged conduct.
Investigators subsequently contacted Rosebeck. He “acknowledged having a physical interaction with the woman during the incident,” the sheriff’s office said.
After gathering additional information and evidence, investigators arrested Rosebeck and charged him with unlawful sexual contact involving a peace officer, a Class 5 felony. He was booked into the Cochise County Jail.
AZDPS confirmed the arrest and charge in a statement issued Tuesday, saying the department was informed of the allegations on Monday morning.
Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Aiden Rosebeck, 35, has been accused of making unlawful sexual contact with a woman who was stranded on the side of the road
The department said Rosebeck joined AZDPS in 2020 and has since been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office is leading the criminal investigation, while AZDPS conducts a separate internal administrative review.
Both agencies said they are cooperating as the investigation into the trooper continues.
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AZDPS Director Colonel Jeffrey Glover said in a statement: “Every member of this Department is entrusted with significant authority, and with that authority comes an equally significant and non-negotiable responsibility to act with integrity and professionalism.
“The public places its trust in us, and we have an absolute obligation to uphold that trust.
“We take allegations of misconduct seriously, investigate them thoroughly, and will hold our personnel fully accountable to the standards of this Department — without exception.”
Cochise County Sheriff Mark J. Dannels also issued a statement, saying: “Let me be absolutely clear, a badge is not a shield from accountability, and the authority to enforce the law does not place anyone above it.
“When someone is stranded on the side of a roadway, they should be able to trust that a law enforcement officer who stops to assist them is there to protect them, not take advantage of their circumstances.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark J Dannels said: “This case is not about one agency versus another. It is about doing what is right”
“Any allegation that an officer has abused that position of authority is a serious matter, and one that demands immediate attention.”
Dannels added: “This case is not about one agency versus another. It is about doing what is right, upholding the law, and making certain that the public understands that accountability applies to everyone.”
He continued: “Our responsibility is to the law, to the truth, and to the people we have sworn to protect. That responsibility does not change when the person under investigation is one of our own in the law enforcement profession.”
Rosebeck was held on a $10,000 bond, which he posted Tuesday, AZFamily reported.
Under Arizona law, the Class 5 felony charge carries a possible prison sentence of six months to two and a half years if Rosebeck is convicted.
