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SALT LAKE CITY — A report from a new witness prompted officials to reopen a sex assault cold case against a Utah County sheriff's deputy, according to law enforcement in Arizona.
"This is a great example of someone coming forward with new information leading to the arrest of a dangerous sexual predator many years later. This shows that decades after a crime, one piece of information can solve a case," Mesa police detective Steve Berry said in a news release Tuesday.
Gerald Salcido, 63, was suspected in a molestation case from 1985 involving two children that was reported in 1995, but the investigation went cold when detectives didn't have enough evidence to move forward with prosecution, according to the release.
The case was reopened in September 2017 when a witness brought new information to police and investigators conducted follow-up interviews with Salcido in Utah, Berry said.
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Police: Utah County sheriff's deputy arrested in Arizona child sex abuse case
A Utah County sheriff's deputy has been arrested in a child sexual abuse case in Arizona.Following those interviews, Salcido was charged by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office with three counts of sexual conduct with a minor, a class 2 felony, Berry said.
Details of the allegations have not been released.
Salcido has worked for the Utah County Sheriff's Office for 14 years, according to sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon. He has been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
Cannon said Salcido also worked for another law enforcement agency in Utah, but declined to say which.
Once the charges were filed, Salcido was arrested Jan. 5 by Orem police and was booked into the Juab County Jail. He remained in custody Tuesday with bail set at $75,000 as he awaits extradition to Arizona.
Cannon said the sheriff's office does rigorous background checks on potential employees and found no issues when Salcido was hired. The office will now review Salcido's conduct during his employment with the county, he said, though Salcido has had no such disciplinary issues.
