KRDO13 Investigates: TSA employee accused of producing child sexual abuse images at Fort Carson
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee and U.S. Army reservist is facing a federal charge accusing him of producing hundreds of child sexual abuse images of a child living on Fort Carson.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado, 30-year-old Nikalus Jacob Ruiz is charged with production of child pornography under federal law. Investigators say the alleged abuse occurred between June 2024 and February 2026 in Fort Carson base housing.
Court records show Ruiz works as a Transportation Security Administration employee and also serves as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Fingerprint in image led investigators to suspect
Investigators say a critical piece of evidence came directly from one of the photos.
According to the affidavit, investigators found a partial fingerprint visible in one of the images and ran it through an FBI database.
Authorities say the print matched records for Nikalus Ruiz, which were on file because of his TSA employment.
The fingerprint match was returned on Feb. 25, according to court documents.
International investigation led to Colorado suspect
Federal investigators say the case began with a tip from overseas.
On March 3, 2025, Homeland Security investigators received a referral from the Queensland Police Service in Australia about a series of child sexual abuse images circulating online.
According to investigators, the series contained 613 image files depicting a young girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to the affidavit, investigators traced the images to dark web forums dedicated to distributing child sexual abuse material.
Social media helped identify the victim
After identifying Ruiz, investigators say they used social media and open-source research to identify the child and her family.
According to court records, investigators located social media accounts belonging to the child’s mother. Photos posted online showed a toddler wearing clothing consistent with clothing seen in some of the images recovered during the investigation.
Investigators determined the girl was born in 2020 and lives with her parents in Fort Carson base housing.
According to the child’s mother, Ruiz was a family friend who had babysat the girl multiple times at the family’s home.
The mother told investigators Ruiz began having contact with the child when the family moved to Fort Carson in June 2024.
The most recent time Ruiz babysat the child was Feb. 22, just days before his arrest.
Arrest at Fort Carson
Investigators say Ruiz was arrested Feb. 25 on Fort Carson.
According to court records, Army investigators issued a “be on the lookout” alert at the base gates for Ruiz.
When Ruiz entered the installation around 7:15 p.m., the alert was triggered, and investigators began surveillance at the family’s home.
At approximately 9:05 p.m., investigators say Ruiz was seen leaving the residence and walking toward his vehicle. Agents detained him before he reached the car.
Evidence collected during investigation
Investigators say they recovered a cell phone believed to be an iPhone 12 Pro from Ruiz at the time of his arrest.
The phone was placed in airplane mode and secured in a Faraday bag, which prevents remote access or deletion of data.
According to the affidavit, Ruiz was read his rights but declined to speak with investigators and requested an attorney.
Investigators also searched the child’s home with the parents’ consent. During the search, agents recovered items visible in the images recovered during the investigation, including bedsheets, blankets and clothing worn by the child.
Federal agents reviewed 613 images connected to the investigation, according to court documents.
Ruiz is charged with production of child pornography, which carries a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in federal prison if convicted, along with possible fines and supervised release.
The investigation involved federal Homeland Security agents, Army Criminal Investigation Division investigators and Colorado Springs Police detectives.
KRDO13 Investigates reached out to Ruiz’s federal public defender for comment, who responded, "Our office does not provide comments to the media about our cases."
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