A plea hearing has been scheduled for former La Plata County Jail Cmdr. Ed Aber, who is accused of viewing strip search videos of more than 100 female inmates for his own sexual gratification during his tenure at the jail.
According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in July, Aber allegedly watched the videos – which depicted “close-up vantage points of the intimate parts of at least 117 female inmates” – more than 3,000 times between Feb. 14, 2019, and Jan. 14, 2024, using his administrative access to evidence.com.
The former commander is charged with 117 counts of invasion of privacy and one count of official misconduct – all misdemeanors.
A plea hearing was scheduled for Feb. 2 during a brief pretrial hearing Monday at the La Plata County Courthouse.
How future proceedings unfold will depend on whether Aber pleads “guilty” or “not guilty” at the hearing.
A not guilty plea could send the case to trial. A guilty plea would likely be part of a plea agreement.
As of Monday afternoon, court officials said no plea documents had been filed with the court.
Jason Kosloski, a criminal and civil rights lawyer in Denver, told The Durango Herald in July that Aber could face probation or several years in jail.
Aber’s lawyer, Barrie Newberger-King, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The two class-action lawsuits name Aber, Sheriff Sean Smith and several jail staff members as defendants. The first, filed in August, represents three of the 100-plus alleged victims. The second, filed in September, represents at least 18 more victims.
Aber was placed on administrative leave in July 2024 amid a misconduct investigation and resigned before charges were filed. The CBI launched its investigation into the strip-search videos in January 2025.
epond@durangoherald.com
