LOGAN COUNTY, Colo. -- An elected sheriff in Colorado is behind bars on charges of having sex with a prisoner in custody, court records show.
Police in Colorado arrested Sedgwick County Sheriff Thomas J. Hanna following a joint investigation into alleged wrongdoing.
According to arrest reports, Hanna faces charges of first-degree sexual assault and crimes against at risk adults or juveniles -- a felony crime. He also faces felony charges of sexual penetration by an official while in custody.
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A conviction for sexual penetration of a victim by an official while in law enforcement custody carries a punishment of between two and 16 years in prison and potential lifetime parole supervision. The higher prison range -- five to 16 years -- is for a conviction on a violent crime enhancement.
For his second felony charge of sexual assault against at-risk adults or at-risk juveniles -- a class-2 felony -- a conviction carries a normal sentencing range of eight to 24 years in prison and potential lifetime parole supervision. If convicted of a violent crime enhancement, the sentencing ranging is 16 to 48 years in prison.
Hanna also faces misdemeanor charges of prostitution-soliciting and first-degree official misconduct.
Originally, Hanna had been kept in the Logan County Jail, however he has since been moved to the Weld County Jail due to concerns for his safety, as many suspects Hanna's force arrested are in the Logan County facility.
Hanna had been elected in November of 2014, when he received 728 votes from his constituents.
Prosecutors say Hanna will appear in court Wednesday, noting a special prosecutor from outside the county will likely preside over the case.
