Former Denver cop charged with raping his daughter is allowed to roam free - but her mom is sent to jail for refusing therapy

A retired Denver police officer has been freed after being accused of sexually abusing his daughter, but his ex wife claims she has been arrested for refusing therapy.

Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins says she was sent to jail after she refused to send her two youngest sons to court-ordered therapy with their father, former Aurora police sergeant Michael Hawkins, 55.

Pickrel-Hawkins was found in contempt of court after she decided not to continue with reunification therapy ordered as part of her divorce proceedings, which started before criminal charges were filed against Hawkins.

She told the Denver Gazette the therapy has been harmful and accused the therapist of supporting Hawkins' efforts to gain custody of the children and pressuring them to forgive their father.

Hawkins, who is free on bond, is also accused of sexually assaulting Pickrel-Hawkins' two eldest daughters, who he adopted. 

Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins says she was sent to jail after she refused to send her two youngest sons to court-ordered therapy with their father, who is accused of raping their daughter

Former Aurora police sergeant Michael Hawkins (pictured) is free on bond after being charged with sexually assaulting his daughter and adopted daughters

The couple has four children, three of which are minors, and Hawkins is seeking custody of the two youngest boys, aged 10 and 13.

Court documents claim Hawkins sexually abused his 17-year-old daughter throughout her childhood, starting when she was five, and almost drowned the couple's older son, now aged 19. 

The 19-year-old said Hawkins used police tactics to hold him under water during a 2018 trip to Costa Rica. 

The teen claims he believed his father was vengeful because he had previously confronted him about seeing his hand down his sister's underwear. 

Pickrel-Hawkins currently has custody of the minor children, who are living in a domestic violence shelter. She told the Denver Gazette she has arranged for her relatives to care for her children while she is in jail. 

Aside from sending Pickrel-Hawkins to jail for seven weekends, the judge ordered her to pay the full $370 cost of any sessions her sons attend alone and to split the bill with her ex for any sessions he attends

Pickrel-Hawkins currently has custody of the minor children, who are living in a domestic violence shelter

Aside from sending Pickrel-Hawkins to jail for seven weekends, the judge ordered her to pay the full $370 cost of any sessions her sons attend alone and to split the bill with her ex for any sessions he attends.

In his decision Larimer County District Court Judge Daniel McDonald cast doubt on the claims against the former cop.

McDonald wrote on July 6: 'The court also notes that no criminal charges have been filed and the Department of Human Services’ finding can be based on statements of the child alone with no corroborative evidence.'

While the judge's decision came before the criminal charges against Hawkins, Pickrel-Hawkins claims the judge was aware of the criminal probe.

Criminal charges were filed against Hawkins later on July 29 after a nearly two-year investigation.

Hawkins was hailed as a hero after he was one of the cops who responded to the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012 where 12 people were killed

In his decision Larimer County District Court Judge Daniel McDonald cast doubt on the claims against the former cop

Hawkins was charged with six felony counts of sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust and a single count of misdemeanor child abuse.

Hawkins was hailed as a hero after he was one of the cops who responded to the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012 where 12 people were killed,

His daughter told investigators she was raped the same year after her father experienced post-traumatic stress disorder

Criminal charges were filed against Hawkins later on July 29 after a nearly two-year investigation

Hawkins was on the news in 2017 after a woman accused him and three other officers of stomping on her head after she was falsely accused of assaulting Hawkins

Hawkins was back on the news in 2017 after a woman accused him and three other officers of stomping on her head after she was falsely accused of assaulting Hawkins.

Aurora paid the woman $335,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Hawkins retired the next year after he filed a fit-for-duty medical exam.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Aurora Police Department for comment on this story.