A former Weld County detentions deputy was sentenced Wednesday to eight years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections after admitting he had sex with an inmate while working a shift at the Weld County Jail. Jacob Golden, 30, pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful sexual conduct by a peace officer, a Class 3 felony involving penetration on duty.
Golden's sentencing came in Weld County District Court as part of a plea agreement that resolved a case first brought against him more than a year earlier, according to North Forty News. As part of a July plea agreement, seven other related unlawful sexual contact charges Golden faced were dismissed, according to a discussion of the case on Reddit. CBS News Colorado also reported on the sentencing, confirming the eight-years-to-life prison term.
How the Case Began at the Weld County Jail
The investigation traces back to July 15, 2025, when a female inmate reported that Golden had sexual intercourse with a 27-year-old inmate while on duty sometime between July 12 and July 14 of that year, according to the Weld County Sheriff's Office. Detectives moved quickly, interviewing witnesses and corroborating the allegations before arresting Golden that same day, ahead of his next scheduled shift, the sheriff's office said in its release. At the time of his arrest, Golden had served as a POST-certified detentions deputy at the jail for four years and was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the criminal and internal investigations.
Golden was booked and held on a $20,000 cash/surety bond at the Weld County Jail, located at 2110 O Street in Greeley, per the sheriff's office. Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams condemned the deputy's conduct at the time, calling it “unacceptable and disturbing to the conscience,” according to the sheriff's office statement.
Why Consent Wasn't a Legal Defense
Golden was prosecuted under Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-3-405.7, a law enacted in 2019 under House Bill 19-1250 that bars peace officers from engaging in sexual penetration while on duty and explicitly prohibits an inmate's or detainee's consent from being used as a defense, according to the Colorado General Assembly. Lawmakers created the offense specifically to address abuse of authority by officers over people in their custody.
The eight-years-to-life sentence reflects Colorado's Sex Offender Lifetime Supervision Act of 1998, which mandates an indeterminate term with a minimum prison period and the possibility of lifetime parole supervision for Class 3 felony sex offenses. Under that framework, offenders like Golden must undergo specialized evaluation and treatment before becoming eligible for parole, with the state parole board ultimately deciding on release.
Certification Stripped, Career Over
Beyond the prison term, Golden's felony conviction automatically triggers revocation of his Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, permanently barring him from working in law enforcement anywhere in the state, per rules detailed by Blue360° Media. That decertification effectively closes the door on any return to the profession he served for four years before his arrest.
Hoodline reported on Golden's arrest last year, when he was booked on multiple felony counts following the inmate's report. More than a year later, the case has concluded with a guilty plea, a dismissal of most of the original charges, and a sentence that could keep Golden behind bars for the rest of his life.
