Former Wright County police officer pleads not guilty to sexual exploitation charge

EAGLE GROVE — A former Wright County police officer charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and sending obscene material to a minor has pleaded not guilty.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation started an investigation on December 23rd after the Eagle Grove Police Department requested assistance to examine a complaint against 27-year-old Colt Richardson, who at the time was an officer with the department.

Richardson was arrested on January 13th and charged with dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to a minor after the DCI alleged Richardson on or about December 6th used Snapchat to send explicit images to an underage person, with the first transmission taking place while Richardson was on duty while a second transmission happened when he was off duty in a private setting.

The Wright County Attorney’s Office a few weeks later added a sexual exploitation of a minor charge, saying Richardson allegedly possessed materials depicting the minor engaging in a prohibited act.

Richardson’s arraignment hearing was scheduled to take place on Friday, but court records show he filed written pleas of not guilty on Wednesday in Wright County District Court. His trial is scheduled to start on May 22nd.