A total of 117 women discovered that some of their most private moments inside a Colorado jail had been recorded without their knowledge and later allegedly accessed by a jail commander. The case involved strip-search videos of women held at the La Plata County Jail in Durango, where authorities say the former commander logged into the evidence system more than 3,000 times over several years.
The allegations quickly grew into a wider fight over privacy and how much access jail staff should have to sensitive footage. Women affected by the case joined advocates and lawmakers to push for stricter rules on when strip searches can happen, how they are recorded and who is allowed to watch the videos.
Commander Accused of Viewing Strip-Search Videos
Former La Plata County Jail commander Edward Aber is accused of accessing strip-search videos involving 117 incarcerated women. State and county officials said he allegedly logged into the county's evidence database more than 3,000 times over about five years. Authorities said some of the footage was accessed from places outside the jail, including hotel rooms and residential addresses.
Aber was arrested in July 2025 and charged with 117 counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification. He was also charged with one count of first-degree official misconduct over the alleged viewing of the sensitive videos. Aber has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations against him have not yet been proven at trial.
His trial had initially been set to begin on 10 August 2026. It was later moved to November because of scheduling issues. The case remains ongoing, meaning Aber is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
They Did Not Know Strip Searches Were Recorded
Suzanne Garcia was booked into the La Plata County Jail in 2020 because of a years-old restraining order that was later dismissed. She recalled being told to remove all of her clothing, lift her breasts, turn around, bend over, squat and cough during the intake search. Garcia said the process felt cold and humiliating, but she believed she had no choice but to follow the officer's instructions.
What Garcia said she did not know was that the search was being recorded by an officer's body-worn camera. She went home after her release without knowing that video of the search existed. Years later, she learned that her recording was among the videos Aber allegedly viewed.
Another woman, Katrina Lile, learned about the alleged viewing in July 2025, four years after she had left the county jail. Lile said she cried after finding out and later became angry about what had happened. She said that anger even began affecting her relationships with her husband and young son.
Survivors' Push for Change
After learning what had allegedly happened, Garcia began asking officials what they planned to do. She later connected with advocates working against sexual violence and joined other women affected by the case. Together, they began working on a proposal designed to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
Lile also became involved after contacting the office of Colorado state Rep. Katie Stewart. Stewart worked with survivors, attorneys, law enforcement officials and advocates while developing the bill. Rep. Javier Mabrey later joined Stewart in introducing the measure in the Colorado House.
The proposal moved quickly through the state legislature after being introduced in February 2026. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law in May. For survivors, the new rules became one way to turn an alleged abuse of privacy into wider protection for people held in the state's jails.
Colorado's New Law Tightens Strip-Search Rules
Under the new law, incarcerated people must be informed when their strip searches are being recorded. Jail staff who want to access those videos must receive written approval. The reason for viewing the footage must also be recorded, creating a clearer trail showing who accessed sensitive material and why.
The law also sets clearer limits on when jail staff may conduct strip searches. Searches can take place during intake or when staff have a reasonable belief that a person is hiding contraband. They can also be used in certain situations where there is a known history of contraband being found, such as after an overdose inside a facility.
Another part of the law protects jail workers who report possible misconduct. These whistleblower protections are meant to reduce the risk of staff facing punishment for raising concerns. However, the law currently applies to Colorado jails and does not cover state prisons.
