A man was arrested Monday suspected of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of children after a yearlong investigation.

Brandon Gehrer, 47, of Calhan, was arrested Jan. 20 for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl and taking sexually provocative photos of her while she was asleep.

The father of the 12-year-old underage female victim was friends with Gehrer and would repeatedly take his daughter over to his house for sleepovers with Gehrer’s nieces and nephews.

According to the 12-year-old girl who spoke with investigators, Gehrer initiated a back rub but moved his hands down her pants and touched her inappropriately in October of 2023.

She also said another time Gehrer lifted her shirt and took photos of her breasts while she was asleep on the couch in December of 2023. She saw the photos when she was looking through his phone and recognized herself, according to the arrest affidavit.

She told detectives Gehrer had instructed her not to tell anybody and she was scared. But eventually she did tell her father who then confronted his friend Gehrer, who denied all allegations.

As part of the investigation the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office seized several electronic devices from Gehrer’s residence. They say the devices contained 150-200 erotic photos of young girls ages 5-14 on Gehrer’s phone, according to court documents.

Gehrer was arrested on Jan. 20 and released on bond. His next court appearance is Jan. 27 at 3:45 p.m.