Court records reveal new details in ongoing case of La Plata County Jail commander
LA PLATA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A former La Plata County Jail commander is accused of accessing more than 100 strip search videos for sexual gratification, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) said.
According to the CBI, 62-year-old Edward Aber was promoted to jail commander in 2018. With that promotion came the administrative access to video surveillance footage.
The CBI says he ultimately resigned in 2024 following an investigation, as inmates accused him of unlawful sexual contact, and coworkers accused him of sexual harassment. No charges were ultimately filed on the allegations of unlawful sexual contact, the CBI said.
The CBI believes Aber accessed 117 different strip search videos, which they say were viewed multiple times from Feb. 14, 2019, to Jan. 14, 2024.
According to the CBI, Aber faces the following charges:
- 117 counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification (class 1 misdemeanor)
- One count of first-degree official misconduct (class 1 misdemeanor)
Affidavit records show
According to the affidavit, body camera footage from the jail is archived on a website to which Aber had access. Court records state that an audit kept on the website logged the date, time and what was viewed by Aber during each use of the website.
From February 2019 to July 2024, Aber allegedly logged into the website approximately 3,166 times, with a large number of the videos logged into by Aber being videos that were labeled ’‘Strip Search” of female inmates, according to the affidavit.
According to the sheriff's office, no one working there should routinely view videos of strip searches. The office states that such videos are usually only viewed right after an incident that involved a suspect being uncooperative, force being used, or contraband being found during the strip search.
The investigation into Aber also showed, according to the affidavit, that Aber had been reviewing Facebook profiles of female inmates and female deputies on devices issued by the sheriff's office.
Aber is accused of logging in to the sheriff's office archival website on seven different IP addresses, with only one belonging to the sheriff's office, according to the audit.
Court records say there were a total of 117 female inmates whose strip search videos were accessed and viewed by Aber, many of which multiple times, oftentimes weeks and months after the event
Records indicate that Aber often viewed the videos late at night or early in the morning. Records note that a forensic search of other devices in the possession and control of Aber while he was employed contained photographs of the bodies, cleavages, breasts, and faces of former and current female inmates.
Past reports made by jail personnel mentioned that Aber would have closed-door meetings with female inmates. The same women who were involved in the closed-door meetings, according to court records, were those whose videos Aber repeatedly viewed, although not all of them.
In 2024, at least 14 female La Plata County Sheriff's Office employees reported multiple instances of alleged inappropriate sexual advances and comments made by Aber over the course of years, according to court records.
Aber resigned prior to the investigation concluding, according to the affidavit.
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