Eagle Grove police officer accused of grooming a minor

EAGLE GROVE – A police officer in this small Northern Iowa town has been arrested and fired after authorities say he groomed a minor.

Joseph Corrow, Assistant Wright County Attorney, reports that on January 13, 2024, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant on Colt Allen Richardson. The arrest warrant was the result of an investigation of alleged criminal violations by Richardson both while on duty, and off duty, as a police officer for the City of Eagle Grove, Iowa.  Reportedly, he has already been fired from his job.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) investigated the allegations against Mr. Richardson and charged him with a violation of Iowa Code Section 728.2, Dissemination and Exhibition of Obscene Material to a Minor, a serious misdemeanor. Upon review of investigatory materials, the Wright County Attorney’s Office has additionally charged Richardson with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, in violation of Iowa Code Section 728.12. Sexual Exploitation of a Minor is a class D felony.  No further details, including a jail photo, were available at this time.

Participating agencies included the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Eagle Grove Police Department, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wright County Attorney’s Office.