JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The defendant accused of exposing himself in front of women on multiple Jefferson County trails last year was sentenced to several years in prison on Thursday.
Glenn Thompson Braden IV, 20, of Evergreen pleaded guilty to multiple charges this summer, including attempted sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact, both of which are felonies, as well as indecent exposure. The other charges were dismissed. Braden initially pleaded not guilty to the charges before he took the plea deal.
The charges came after he confronted, committed lewd acts in front of, or grabbed at women multiple times at Flying J Ranch Park, Alderfer/Three Sisters Park and Genesee Mountain Park (the Beaver Brook Trailhead location) in the spring and summer of 2023.
Multiple people, including a couple women who were victimized, addressed the court and Judge Meegan Miloud on Thursday afternoon during the sentencing hearing.
Two victims spoke about the shock of what Braden had done to them. One woman said after he confronted, slapped and grabbed at her clothing, she remembered thinking, "This is how it happens. This is how I get raped."
She had a large dog with her at the time and was on the trails for some fresh air as she memorized a presentation for work the next day. She heard what she "thought was an innocent jogger" approaching her and she stepped off the trail with her dog. That's when she noticed he was nude and was approaching her. He ran away when she screamed.
Two nearby hikers heard her and helped her call 911.
"How do you describe the shift it caused the week after, the month after, the year after?” she said, explaining that she looks over her shoulder when she hikes now, as stares down other people on the trail "with nervous suspicion."
After his arrest, the woman said her unfamiliarity with the criminal process left her feeling "alone and unseen and important." The judge later addressed this woman just before announcing Braden's sentence, saying, “You are seen and you are heard and I do take that into consideration.”
"How do you quantify these impacts?" the woman asked during her victim impact statement. "I don’t have any physical marks on my body as a result of this event. But it has impacted me... The outdoors is no longer the sanctuary of peace and tranquility and safety it once was... I am a victim and I chose to identify as that when speaking today because I believe it’s important for voices and stories of victims to be heard.”
Another woman said her mountain community's perception of safety changed and the beloved trails had turned into a source of anxiety. She said Braden's incarceration alleviated the immediate fears, but they still linger as questions sparked about trail safety.
She urged the court to consider not just the harm, but the ongoing need for deterrence. She said she wants the trails to remain safe spaces, where young women can confidently recreate alone and families can spend quality time.
Allie Galvan with the First Judicial District Attorney's Office explained how people from all over the country come to Colorado for its beautiful trail systems, including thousands of women who enjoy hiking both with friends and alone. What Braden did "destroyed a basic freedom to enjoy our outdoors for so many women," she said.
She brought up a viral question for women that has been circulating online this year: Would you rather be alone in the woods with a bear or an unknown man? Most women have said the bear because they would know what to expect. The worst thing a bear can do to a woman is kill her, Galvan said, but a man can do worse.
"It revealed a concerning truth," she said. "It means we have failed to create a safe society for women."
After detailing each of the nine individual incidents Braden is responsible for, Galvan pointed out a pattern of escalation. She noted a couple similar incidents from Braden's time in South Carolina. He was charged but not convicted in those cases.
“This shows not just a pattern of months escalation, but a pattern of years escalation," Galvan said, adding that Braden had said he has a compulsion he cannot control, which makes him an extreme public safety concern.
The prosecution asked for a sentence that sends a message about Colorado not tolerating people who destroy the ability for women to enjoy the outdoors: Eight years for the unlawful sexual contact charge and three years for the attempted sexual assault charge, as well as 364 days in jail for the indecent exposure misdemeanor.
Afterward, Braden's defense team welcomed a social worker and professional counselor to describe their interactions with him for the court.
Social worker Doug Carpenter began meeting with Braden a few months back and said the defendant took accountability for his behaviors. He demonstrates an understanding of how his actions had impacted the victims, he said. Carpenter said he believes treatment, which Braden both needs and wants, would be beneficial.
Counselor Kelly Winters has worked with Braden since February 2024. She said from day one, he "never wavered in taking responsibility" for his actions and was aware of how he had harmed people. He is not only non-confrontational and generally complies with rules, but also knows he needs treatment and understands he will face consequences for what he did to women on Jefferson County trails in 2023, she said.
Winters noted that the Department of Corrections (DOC) has about 40 therapists for its sexual offender treatment program, but only about half of those positions are filled.
She said her hope is that Braden can receive a sentence that balances accountability with treatment so he can return to the community in a safe way.
Defense attorney Jeff Weeden echoed Carpenter's and Winters' statements, and said Braden had taken responsibility since the very beginning. He was 20 at the time of the incidents and there "is a lot of development and growth that still needs to happen" at that point in a man's life, he said. Braden hates what he has done and the pain he caused in the community, he said.
All of the doctors who had examined Braden have said he would benefit from treatment, Weeden said. He has already found a few programs he can access from jail for that type of help and has completed a sex addiction course.
Weeden requested the minimum time in DOC custody so Braden could go through treatment and therapy as soon as possible, which is something he wanted. It would also reduce Braden's exposure to the "monstrous nightmares" in prison, he said.
Toward the end of the hearing, Judge Miloud asked Braden if he would like to speak.
He said yes and stood up.
Braden told the court that he was incarcerated a couple weeks after his 20th birthday, during a "confusing," "stressful" and "low point" in his life. He said he looks forward every day to when he can start treatment.
"I took actions that hurt and traumatized many people," he said. "I deeply regret making those decisions. From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry... I want to be a genuinely safe person and not somebody who hurts and traumatizes other people... I pray that one day, each one of you can heal from the trauma that I caused.”
Judge Miloud then sentenced Braden to eight years in prison for the unlawful sexual contact charge and three years for the attempted sexual assault charge, which would run concurrent. She also sentenced him 364 years in jail with pre-sentence credit for the indecent exposure misdemeanor. She said he must register as a lifetime sex offender within five days.
History of this case
The first incident was reported on April 3, 2023 and the final two both happened on Aug. 8, 2023. He was arrested on the evening of the latter.
Following his arrest, he told investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office that he would never purposefully hurt somebody, but "he felt compelled to commit these sexual acts in the presence of women" and he could "not help his compulsion," according to an 11-page arrest affidavit.
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Jeffco suspect felt 'compelled' to do sexual acts in front of women, docs say
Braden is suspected in the following incidents, as described in his arrest affidavit (times indicate when the incident happened or when the report was made):
- April 3, 2023, 3:24 p.m.: A JCSO deputy responded to Flying J Ranch Park. A victim said she had been running on the trails when a naked man slapped her behind and ran past her. While the slap did not hurt, she said it startled her and she took some time to compose herself before taking out her phone and recording a short video.
- May 4, 2023, 9:54 a.m.: A park ranger reported that an unknown person had reported seeing a naked man at Flying J Ranch Park, specifically on the Shadow Pine Loop near the Apache Springs neighborhood access.
- June 13, 2023, 6:50 p.m.: Two deputies responded to Alderfer/Three Sisters Park after an incident of indecent exposure was reported. A victim told the deputies she was hiking with her new puppy around the trail to Brother Lookout when somebody approached her from ahead. She stepped off the trail to let him pass when she noticed he was fully nude. He approached her, touching his genitals. She stumbled and fell into a sitting position as he kept moving toward her. He ran away when she yelled for help. She described his posture as "aggressive."
- July 11, 2023, 5:30 p.m.: A woman said she went for a hike around the Shadow Pine Loop trail at Flying J Ranch Park. About a quarter-mile from the parking lot, she saw a naked man walking toward her on the trail. The woman reported that he was holding his half-erect penis in his right hand and as he neared her, asked, "Could you touch me, please?" She replied, "Get the f*** away from me" and started walking faster toward her car. She heard him say, "I'll pay" as she walked away. When she looked back, she said the man was not following her. She told deputies she had seen the male earlier on her hike and he was fully clothed at that time.
- July 18, 2023, 6 p.m.: A victim reported an indecent exposure incident at Flying J Ranch Park, saying she was around the top of Shadow Pine Loop riding her bike with her friend when a man stopped in front of them, pulled down his pants and "began performing 'illicit acts' on himself in front of them." He continued to do so while the woman and her friend rode away.
- July 18, 2023, 7:10 p.m.: A deputy responded to a report of unlawful sexual contact at Flying J Ranch Park. A woman told the deputy that she had been hiking on the trails and stopped to take a photograph. As she stood still, a person came up behind her and slapped her butt, the affidavit reads. She was startled and initially thought it was one of her friends, but when she turned around, she saw a man she did not know. He asked, "Do you wanna f***?" and she responded "What the f***?" before he turned and ran away, according to the affidavit.
- July 18, 2023, 8:28 p.m.: A deputy was called to Flying J Ranch for a report of unlawful sexual contact. The deputy spoke with a woman who said about five to 10 minutes before she had called 911, she was half a mile up a trail when she ran into hikers who warned her that there was a naked man masturbating in the park. The woman said she decided to hike in the opposite direction from where the man reportedly was, but as she neared the end of her hike, a man came up behind her and grabbed her behind. The man continued running down the trail and did not say anything during the encounter. He was not nude. The woman said she had seen him in the park multiple times in the past month.
- July 24, 2023, 8:16 p.m.: A woman said she was walking along the lower east side of Johns Landing Trail between two parking lots at Flying J Ranch Park when she heard somebody jogging behind her. She stepped off the trail to let the person pass, and the man smacked her behind. When she turned, she saw a naked man masturbating in front of her. The woman remembered saying, "Nope," and turning to walk away. She said the suspect hit her behind again and tried to rip down her shorts, but she fought to keep them on and then the suspect started to rip her shirt from the front collar. She called for help, catching the attention of two mountain bikers, who rode over to help. The suspect ran into the woods. After this, signs went up at local parks warning visitors of the suspect.
- Aug. 8, 2023, 6-6:30 p.m.: A woman said she saw a man walking toward her on the trail near the Beaver Brook Trailhead, across Interstate 70 from Genesee Mountain, and stepped aside to let him pass, saying, "Good evening." As he approached, she saw the waistband of his pants was around his knees. His left hand held up the side of his pants while he stretched his right arm toward her backside. She yelled, "No!" and walked away, checking behind her often to make sure he was not following her. She did not have cell service. After going some distance, she said she "screamed in anger," and warned everybody she passed. She said he knew another woman was on the trail behind her, so she did not walk too far.
- Aug. 8, 2023, 6 p.m.: A woman said she saw the suspect walking toward her and noticed the man's waistband was around his knees. She called him a "f***king idiot" and continued to walk. She turned around to look at him after passing him and saw he had stopped and was masturbating. He said, "You're hot," before she continued walking away from him as fast as she could, she told investigators.
Braden was initially charged with multiple misdemeanors in connection with 11 different incidents. However, he was later charged with several felonies. In total, he faced one felony count of attempted sexual assault, four felony counts of unlawful sexual contact, nine misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief. His bond was set at $100,000 cash-only after he was formally charged.
