AG's office prosecuting child sex abuse case city says DA Manlove declined

Jun. 17—CHEYENNE — The state's own lawyers appear to be making headway in the prosecution of a child sexual abuse case after the local county's top attorney did not bring charges.

Court documents filed last week, along with information recently shared with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle by a family member of the victim, indicate that the man, Peter Summerhawk, is now being charged with the alleged crimes. He appears to be the same defendant the city of Cheyenne said Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove declined to prosecute.

Manlove has faced scrutiny for allegations that she mishandled the prosecution of cases and inappropriately dismissed certain cases, and that she created a hostile work environment. She faces potential disbarment in disciplinary proceedings brought by the Wyoming State Bar, in which the state's Supreme Court has the final say.

Last month, it was revealed that Manlove did not file to seek re-election by the deadline to run in the GOP primary. She has not commented on any future plans.

The defendant in the local case at hand, Summerhawk, is charged with six counts of first-degree child sex abuse, one count of second-degree child sex abuse and one count of third-degree child sex abuse. The charges were filed May 2 in Laramie County Circuit Court.

The case was then filed June 6 in district court, according to file stamps.

Local authorities would not answer most of the WTE's questions Thursday about the case.

Case details

Summerhawk's arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m.June 30 in front of Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher.

Summerhawk, born in 1974, is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a young teenage girl for several months. He is also accused of repeatedly showing the girl pornography. The numerous accusations against him are laid out in a three-page probable cause affidavit.

The Laramie County Sheriff's Office confirmed Thursday that Summerhawk is currently in custody at the jail. He was arrested by a sheriff's deputy on May 11, according to court documents.

Summerhawk appears to the alleged perpetrator referred to in a letter written by then-Cheyenne Police Department Detective Lt. Rob Dafoe. In the letter, obtained by the WTE and reported on last August, Dafoe writes to DA Manlove that he is frustrated her office had so far failed to charge a child sex abuse case he claimed has overwhelming evidence supporting prosecution.

A charge against Manlove later filed with the Wyoming State Bar referenced this case, accusing Manlove of failing to check for available DNA lab results before declining to charge.

A judge last November granted the city's request to have the AG's office review and potentially prosecute the case. In a court filing, Sweetwater County District Judge Suzannah Robinson said she agreed with the city's position that, because Manlove has a conflict of interest resulting from the pending disciplinary proceedings, Manlove was unable to prosecute the case.

Manlove has denied city's claim that her office declined or failed to prosecute the case. She said before it was referred to the AG's office that the investigation was ongoing, as was the decision whether or not to prosecute the matter.

Alex Farkas, the Cheyenne Police Department's public information officer, declined to comment on the charges or confirm that Summerhawk was the alleged perpetrator referenced in Dafoe's letter. State Attorney General Bridget Hill could not be reached for comment Thursday, nor could Deputy AG Jenny Craig, who is listed as the prosecutor of the case. Manlove also could not be reached.

However, the alleged victim's mother has told the WTE that Summerhawk is the alleged perpetrator in her daughter's case.

Moreover, multiple details of the case match those referred to in Lt. Dafoe's letter and other known information about the case. This includes the nature of the charges, the offenses described in the probable cause affidavit, that the mother called CPD on Aug. 30, 2020, the initials of the alleged victim's mother, and that Summerhawk apparently attempted suicide shortly after the mother reported the alleged crimes to police. (As is customary in sex abuse cases, as well as those involving minors, the WTE is not identifying the victim.)

In Wyoming, first-degree sexual abuse of a minor carries up to 50 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. A second-degree charge carries up to 20 years in prison and/or a $20,000, and a third-degree charge carries up to 15 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at hblack@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack.

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