by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Fort Collins police say internal review led to felony and misdemeanor charges against downtown unit officer
Fort Collins Police Services announced that a Fort Collins police officer has been charged following an internal investigation that uncovered alleged criminal conduct involving the attempted exploitation of a child.
According to police, the investigation began on October 17, 2025, after a woman reported that Officer Andrew James Cirone, 31, made inappropriate requests to her adult daughter for explicit images from the period when she was a juvenile. Because the allegation involved officer misconduct, Fort Collins Police Services immediately launched an internal review and reassigned Cirone away from public-facing duties in accordance with department policy.
As the administrative investigation progressed, police identified potential criminal elements and opened a parallel criminal investigation. Investigators reviewed witness statements, body-worn camera footage, case reports, and other evidence and determined that Cirone allegedly failed to follow the required investigative procedures under Fort Collins Police Services policy and Colorado law. On December 30, Cirone was placed on paid administrative leave while detectives continued gathering evidence.
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Cirone turned himself in at the Larimer County Jail and was booked on the following charges: one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 6 felony, and one count of first-degree official misconduct, a Class 1 misdemeanor.
“As public servants, there are clear expectations for police conduct,” Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said in a prepared statement. He added that the department remains committed to transparency and accountability, even when allegations involve its own employees.
Police emphasized that the alleged requests relate to the time when the victim was a juvenile, not her current age. Detectives believe there may be additional victims or witnesses and are asking anyone with related information to contact the Fort Collins Police Services Tipline at (970) 416-2125 or Larimer County Crime Stoppers at (970) 221-6868.
The case will also be reviewed by the City of Fort Collins Citizen Review Board, as required by policy. Cirone has been employed by Fort Collins Police Services since 2018 and was most recently assigned to the downtown unit in District 1.
Charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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Source: Fort Collins Police Services
