Jun 3, 2008 5:19 pm US/Mountain
Former DPD Officer Arrested on Sex Charges
Written by investigative reporter Brian Maass
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Joe Bini, a controversial former Denver police officer, was arrested on felony sex charges by his former colleagues Monday afternoon.
CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass reported Bini was jailed for enticement of a child and unlawful sexual contact. He posted $75,000 bond and was released from jail after about three hours.
Bini, 39, is best known for authoring a faulty no-knock search warrant that triggered a deadly drug raid in 1999. Bini's erroneous warrant sent SWAT officers to the wrong house, where they shot and killed Ismael Mena, who never should have been in the line of fire.
Bini was charged with felony perjury in connection with the case, but eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and returned to work as a police officer. He retired from the force last year citing medical problems.
Now, Denver police say Bini is in trouble again after an incident May 21. Investigators report two runaway teenage girls met Bini at his wife's downtown Denver nutrition store on the 16th Street Mall.
According to court documents obtained by CBS4, Bini told the girls his wife was "bisexual and how she has a girlfriend." One of the girls told police Bini said, "What he would really like to see is two young ... (having sex with) each other." The girl said Bini announced, "If they (have intercourse) in front of him, he will pay them $20."
The girls say they agreed, Bini locked the store's front door, and the three went to a back room. There the girls say they engaged in a sex act while Bini touched himself and one of the teens. At one point, one of the girls told police "they got scared and wanted to leave."
One of the victims reports that after the sexual act, Bini paid them $20 and they were allowed to leave.
A week later, one of the victims reported what happened to Denver police. At least one of the girls picked Bini's picture out of a photo lineup saying he paid the girls "to do a sexual act in his presence."
CBS4 attempted to contact Joe Bini Tuesday afternoon via email and leaving a message at his wife's nutrition store.
Bini is schedule to appear in court again June 16.
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