Man arrested for sex with girl, cops say

EAGLE — A man who was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenager is being held in Eagle County jail on a $7,750 bond, authorities said.

Zachariah T. Frease, 27, of Gypsum, had consensual sex with a 14-year-old girl Sept. 3, authorities said. The name and hometown of the girl are being withheld to protect her identity.

Frease denied having sex with the girl, according to an Eagle County Sheriff’s Office report written by Deputy David Proctor. On Sept. 3, Frease said he was sleeping in his clothes next to the girl, who was his friend, the report says.

Frease had been fishing and drinking that day and woke up to the girl’s father beating him.

The father, whose name is being withheld to protect his daughter’s identity, was ticketed for misdemeanor third-degree assault, said Spokeswoman Kim Andree of the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.

A woman saw Frease and the girl naked in bed through a window of a home and called the girl’s parents and the police, the report says.

Frease agreed to take a rape test and the girl refused, the report says.

Frease was arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony sexual assault and misdemeanor failure to appear in court, according Eagle County Sheriff’s Office records.

The girl said they had sex and was not threatened, forced or coerced, said Spokeswoman Kim Andree of the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.

A person can be charged with sexual assault if the victim is less than 15 years old, and the suspect is at least four years older than the victim and is not the spouse, according to Colorado law.



Staff Writer Steve Lynn can be reached at 748-2931 or slynn@vaildaily.com.