A sex crime is a sex crime, no matter when it occurs or whether the accused is brought to justice immediately following the act. While there are instances in which a person gets away with such a crime, these are few and far between. A man who sexually assaulted a Denver woman on Sept. 6, 1994, has been charged by authorities.

Despite the fact that the victim passed away in 2000, the accused man was not able to shake free from DNA evidence that was collected at the time.

The 58-year-old man was connected to the case when he was arrested earlier this year in the state of Texas. At this time, he is facing extradition to Colorado, with a bond set at $250,000.

The Denver district attorney has charged the man with committing a crime of violence and felony aggravated sexual assault, alleging that he raped and assaulted a woman nearly 20 years ago.

There is a chance this sex crime would have gone unnoticed if it were not for the work of Denver's Cold Case DNA Project, which brings together the Denver Police Department Crime Lab, Denver District Attorney's Office, and Denver Police detectives.

In the event that a sex crime is committed, it is best for the accused to cooperate with authorities than to attempt to escape and lead a normal life. As this story shows, even when people think they have gotten away with a crime it does not mean they have. Twenty years after the incident, this man will now be faced with the court system and the consequences of his crime.

Source: 7 News Denver, "Man charged nearly 20 years after Denver sex assault; DNA leads to Donald Shores' arrest in Texas," June 27, 2014