The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Former Manitou teacher accused of student relationship appears in court

BY ZACHARY DUPONT zachary.dupont@gazette.com

In a pretrial readiness hearing on Wednesday for Matthew Barton, a former Manitou Springs High School teacher and coach accused of having sex with a student, new details emerged that suggested this might not have been an isolated incident.

Judge Eric Bentley denied a motion from the defense to exclude testimony from a former student of Barton’s who claimed she was also pursued sexually by Barton.

Bentley said the incident involving the other former student took place in 2010, the same time as the alleged sexual assault took place, and included text messages from Barton to the student that made her uncomfortable.

Bentley said one of the texts from Barton to the student read, “Goodnight beautiful,” and that Barton extended invitations for the student to go with Barton on a “one on one” camping trip and to come to a “clothing optional” hot springs.

The alleged relationship between Barton, 53, and the student with whom he is accused of having sex began in 2008 and ended in 2010, Bentley said.

In their investigation, Manitou Springs police coordinated with an unidentified police department with jurisdiction where the woman who was in the alleged relationship, now 29, lives, according to an affidavit.

The woman said in a January interview with detectives that she and Barton had “sexual intercourse ... on school grounds multiple times” and that their “relationship lasted approximately three years,” according to the affidavit.

She told detectives that she and Barton met at different locations during the relationship, including Barton’s home, his truck, behind some of his rental properties, the school basement and the school storage room.

The prosecution’s argument, which Bentley summarized in court, as it relates to the testimony from the other student is that it shows Barton had a “pattern” of using his role as a teacher to abuse and groom young girls, texting them with “sexual undertones,” and attempting to meet up with them for intercourse.

Bentley’s ruling stated that the testimony from the former student is “highly relevant” and will be allowed in the jury trial despite the opposition from the defense.

A second motion filed by the defense was also discussed on Wednesday where

Barton’s defense attorney Cindy Hyatt disclosed to the court that she was unhappy with the quality of the police investigation and the subsequent discovery process throughout the case.

Hyatt claimed that several pieces of discovery were unnecessarily delayed in getting to her, sometimes taking up to two months for her to receive the evidence from the Manitou Springs Police Department.

Hyatt also described the investigation conducted by the police as unprofessional, claiming that important interviews weren’t conducted at the police station and that the officer involved in the case was texting witnesses.

“(The officer) was doing whatever she could to get a conviction,” Hyatt said.

The prosecution countered by saying the slow discovery and informality of the investigation stemmed from the officer’s inexperience, not out of bias.

Bentley agreed with the prosecution in his ruling, saying he found no bias in the actions from the Manitou Springs police officer, but that he will inform the involved parties that in the future investigations need to be conducted more formally and discovery needs to be sent in a timely manner.

Barton’s jury trial is set to begin Monday and is scheduled to be a four-day trial.

LOCAL & STATE

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2022-10-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.gazette.com/article/281655373966696

The Gazette, Colorado Springs