A 35-year-old Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper is behind bars after Cochise County authorities say he engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a stranded motorist he had been sent to help. Aiden Rosebeck was booked into the Cochise County jail on suspicion of unlawful sexual conduct involving a police officer, a class 5 felony under Arizona law, following an incident that investigators say grew out of a roadside welfare check outside Benson.
According to KOLD, the case stems from a hit-and-run crash outside Benson late Sunday night. The Cochise County Sheriff's Office says it was first called in for a welfare check on a stranded and distraught woman, who told investigators she had been the victim of inappropriate sexual conduct by the AZDPS trooper who responded to her original call for help, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Investigators gathered evidence identifying Rosebeck as the trooper involved, and he was arrested and booked into jail, per the same account. KOLD reports Rosebeck acknowledged having “a physical interaction with the woman during the incident in question,” though he was still in custody as of Monday night.
Sheriff Vows No Special Treatment for Troopers
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said his office is committed to thorough and impartial investigations regardless of a suspect's professional position or law enforcement affiliation. Dannels said public trust in law enforcement is earned through integrity, professionalism and accountability, and that stranded motorists should be able to trust the officers sent to assist them rather than fear being exploited by them.
“A badge is not a shield from accountability,” Dannels said, adding there would be no double standard, special treatment or looking the other way in the case. Rosebeck remains in custody pending judicial proceedings and the completion of the ongoing investigation, and as with any accused person, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Administrative Leave and Internal Affairs Review
Rosebeck, who joined AZDPS in 2020, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while the department's Internal Affairs unit conducts its own administrative investigation separate from the sheriff's office's criminal case, KOLD reported. The reporting reviewed does not establish the outcome of either inquiry or Rosebeck's current custody status.
Under Arizona law, unlawful sexual conduct is generally classified as a class 5 felony; it is a class 2 felony when the victim is under 15 and a class 3 felony when the victim is 15 to 17, according to the Arizona Legislature's statute. That statutory language does not speak to the specific facts or legal outcome of Rosebeck's case.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office said its investigation is ongoing and is asking anyone with information to call 520-432-9500. KVOA reported the case.
