DENVER (KDVR) — A 35-year-old man is now accused of drugging and sexually assaulting more than a dozen women, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
A total of 16 women have accused Stephen Matthews of sexually assaulting them, and he now faces 34 felony counts.
Matthews was initially arrested in April after a woman accused him of drugging her on a date, which the two arranged through a dating app.
Following that arrest, police encouraged other victims to come forward. Another nine women did so and Matthews was arrested for a second time on May 15. He was facing 16 felony counts from the 10 women at the time.
The charges against Matthews now include:
- sexual assault – victim helpless
- sexual assault – no consent
- sexual assault – overcome will, drugging
- sexual assault – victim incapable of appraising condition, drugging
- second-degree assault – drugging
Matthews remains in jail and his next scheduled court appearance is June 9.
Victim’s attorney makes statement
“It is both heartening and horrifying to see how many new victims have come forward to share their experiences of abuse. That one person could spend years preying on dozens of women through dating apps like Tinder and Hinge is devastating, especially considering that these platforms had notice of the sexual abuse. The systems that allowed this abuse to take place, and which put corporate profits over public safety, must be held accountable. The dozens of women who have been abused deserve justice,” Laura Wolf, attorney for one of the named victims, said.
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE) or through an online chat with a trained specialist, through a chatbot and on an app.
