A Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy is facing criminal charges of sexual assault on a child and exploitation after being fired on Jan. 14. Andrew Ward, employed by the office since 2014, is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and faces two counts of sexual as sault on a child by one in a position of trust, according to a news release by the sheriff’s office. Deputies received a tip in late December that Ward had sexually assaulted a child and placed him on administrative leave. Investigators identified two victims, with the most recent incident occurring sometime in 2020. Several of Ward’s electronic devices were seized, allegedly containing a “substantial and extensive volume” of CSAM. Ward is facing 13 counts of sexual exploitation of a child in addition to the charges of sexual assault on a child. He has been booked into the Pueblo County Jail on a no-bond warrant. ...read more read less