Thursday, September 25, 2008

Former Police Chief Todd Vecellio Arrested in Internet Sex Sting


A former police chief with the Calhan Police Department is in jail for allegedly trying to arrange sex with a minor. The Canon City Police Department arrested Todd Vecellio, 38, on Wednesday in Penrose as part of a month long internet sex sting.

Vecellio is not only a former police chief, but he was also working as a police officer at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). He has been suspended without pay. A university spokesman said there is no reason to believe that Vecellio acted inappropriately with students and did not use University equipment, computers, in unlawful activities.

Vecellio is facing more than half a dozen charges, including conspiracy to commit sexual assault on a child. According to an arrest affidavit, Vecellio meet a woman online and made plans to have sex with her and her 13-year-old daughter. What Vecellio didn't know, was the woman was an undercover Canon City police officer working with the internet crimes against children unit.

After a month of online chatting and several phone conversations, Vecellio made plans to drive from Colorado Springs to Penrose to meet-up with the woman.

On Wednesday, on his way down, officers arrested him outside a liquor store on highway 115.

The undercover officer says although Vecellio was suspicious that she was a cop, he made it clear he wanted to have sex with both her and her 13-year-old daughter. In one conversation he told the undercover officer that he had been with a 15-year-old once before.

After he was arrested, Vecellio told police he was conducting an investigation on the woman. However, he made no reports, nor told his supervisor at UCCS or law enforcement about the investigation.

As for his background. Vecellio has been arrested twice for domestic violence, and once for child abuse in El Paso County. But all three of those cases were dismissed.

Vecellio remains in the Fremont County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
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