A Hesperus man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting two children who lived near him about 10 years ago in southwest La Plata County.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is asking anyone with information about the case to come forward and share their information with authorities.

Paul Richardson, 62, is suspected of inappropriately touching the children and exposing himself to the children over the course of several years west of Breen, according to a 13-page arrest affidavit filed in 6th Judicial District Court.

The alleged assaults occurred from about 2010 to 2014 when the children were 5 to 10 years old.

The children began having memories of the alleged assaults and have been working with a therapist to further explore those memories, according to the arrest affidavit.

One of the victims described being forced to sit in Richardson’s lap and feeling his penis through his pants. On other occasions, the child recalled Richardson touching the child’s legs and running his hands over the child’s underpants and playing with the elastic.

One of the victims recalled Richardson putting pornography on the television and exposing himself. The child remembers having to touch Richardson’s private parts.

The children were allowed to spend time at Richardson’s house, and one of the victims described Richardson and his wife as being similar to an uncle and an aunt, according to the affidavit. On occasion, they were allowed to spend the night at Richardson’s house.

The family eventually moved away. Richardson stopped by the family’s new house in Durango and spoke with the girls in private. Both of the children recalled Richardson telling them about a friend of his who had to return to South Africa after being charged with sexual assault on a child. He allegedly told them that the only thing his friend did was to give toys and candy to the kids.

The parents of the children eventually became uneasy with Richardson and broke off relations with him and his wife.

In an interview with a CBI investigator, Richardson denied any inappropriate sexual contact with the children. He said he had never been alone with the children, and that he “did not go for that stuff at all,” according to the affidavit.

When asked if he remembered talking to the children about his friend from South Africa, he demurred about whether he had told the children about his friend, but said the friend had gotten in trouble for a different reason.

The investigator asked Richardson if allowing one of the children to sit in his lap had ever become an issue with the parents, and he said neither of the parents had ever said anything about it.

He later contradicted himself, saying a parent had told him he didn’t want the child sitting in his lap because the child was growing up and needed to learn not to do that kind thing. After being confronted with the contradiction from his earlier statement, Richardson said he should probably think about getting an attorney.

The interview ended soon after he spoke of getting an attorney, according to the affidavit.

Richardson has been formally charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.

In a news release, the CBI requested that anyone with information about alleged assaults call Agent Brandon Ludwig at (970) 210-5941.

shane@durangoherald.com