{"id":16445,"date":"2025-09-22T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/female-victims-speak-out-about-alleged-invasion-of-privacy-at-la-plata-county-jail\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:57:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:57:14","slug":"female-victims-speak-out-about-alleged-invasion-of-privacy-at-la-plata-county-jail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/female-victims-speak-out-about-alleged-invasion-of-privacy-at-la-plata-county-jail\/","title":{"rendered":"Female victims speak out about alleged invasion of privacy at La Plata County Jail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Patricia
Patricia Howell said she was sick to her stomach to learn that Ed Aber, a former La Plata County Jail commander, is suspected of viewing her strip-search video for his own sexual gratification. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

For many, the experience of going to jail is a nightmare.<\/p>\n

For an extensive number of women booked into the La Plata County Jail between 2019 and 2024, that nightmare is one they\u2019ve been unable to wake up from \u2013 even after their release.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, more than 100 female inmates who served time at the La Plata County Jail learned they may be victims of a jail commander who used his position of power to watch their strip-search videos for his own sexual gratification.<\/p>\n

The women \u2013 six of whom agreed to speak with The Durango Herald<\/em> \u2013 used words like \u201csick,\u201d \u201cangry\u201d and \u201cshocked\u201d to describe the intrusion. \u201cChills,\u201d \u201cshame\u201d and \u201cfear\u201d were other emotions expressed by the women after learning of the allegations.<\/p>\n

Former jail Cmdr. Ed Aber is charged with of 117 counts of invasion of privacy and one count of official misconduct \u2013 all misdemeanors \u2013 in connection with the strip-search scandal at the La Plata County Jail. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says Aber used his administrative access to view the strip-search videos on at least 3,166 occasions over five years \u2013 from Feb. 14, 2019, to Jan. 14, 2024 \u2013 and possibly dating back even earlier.<\/p>\n

The strip-search videos show close-up views of sensitive areas, including the breasts and genitals, according to the CBI. They were recorded by body cameras worn by the female deputies conducting the searches and stored in a database Aber could access.<\/p>\n

Aber allegedly viewed the videos at work, at home and while traveling.<\/p>\n

None of the victims who spoke for this story were aware that their strip-searches were being recorded \u2013 let alone that the footage was saved to evidence.com and accessible to jail personnel with the rank of lieutenant or higher.<\/p>\n

Former inmates speak out<\/div>\n

Several of the women who spoke for this story described feeling ill when they learned they had allegedly been violated by someone in a position of power overseeing an institution responsible for their safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was sick to my stomach. I was angry \u2013 especially (because) I didn\u2019t know it was going on,\u201d said Patricia Howell, who was last booked into the jail in November 2020. \u201cI have goose bumps right now \u2013 chills \u2013 just thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suzanne Garcia, first booked into the jail in 2013, and most recently booked in 2020 on a since-dismissed charge, had a similar response.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy initial reaction (was) tears, shame, embarrassment and just total shock,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Petry, who was booked into the jail on several different occasions during Aber\u2019s tenure, suspects he viewed jail inmates as morally inferior and used that to justify his actions.<\/p>\n

\"K.L.,
K.L., photographed in The Durango Herald\u2019s studio on Sept. 9, is an alleged victim of former La Plata County Jail Cmdr. Ed Aber, who is suspected of 117 counts of invasion of privacy. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt upsets me a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cEven if we\u2019ve made choices to end up in jail, that doesn\u2019t take our rights away. I have made choices that put me in jail during that time. But that doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m less human, or any less deserving of privacy. Even if you\u2019re somebody that society deems a horrible person, you shouldn\u2019t get your strip-search watched while some guy (masturbates). I don\u2019t believe anybody deserves that.\u201d<\/p>\n

K.L., a victim who requested anonymity, is part of a class-action lawsuit filed against Aber. She said the revelations have caused trauma and strained her family life. She has started therapy to cope.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel so violated and disgusting and embarrassed,\u201d she said. \u201cI got a letter in the mail saying that I was one of the victims, and my heart sunk. I just cried, and cried and cried. \u2026 It\u2019s traumatizing to all of us, and I\u2019m so hurt by this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Suzanne
Suzanne Garcia is an alleged victim of former La Plata County Jail Cmdr. Ed Aber. (Courtesy of Suzanne Garcia)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

A.H., another victim who requested anonymity, said the allegations sent her mind spinning. Any trust she had in law enforcement has been shattered, she said \u2013 a sentiment echoed by other women who spoke for this story.<\/p>\n

A.H., who was last booked into the jail in December 2022, said she has long had nightmares about Aber and her time in the jail \u2013 but that they\u2019ve become more frequent since learning of the former jail commander\u2019s misconduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt weird (about Aber), and those fears were valid,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She described Aber acting \u201cconsistently creepy\u201d during her time in the jail, saying he frequently stood too close during interactions with female inmates; made her feel unsafe during visits to the nurse, where he would personally oversee her and other patients; and made inappropriate comments about inmates\u2019 bodies \u2013 including telling women they were \u201cfilling out\u201d and suggesting they go down a size in their uniforms, presumably to make their bodies more visible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a known behavior,\u201d A.H. said. \u201cHe worked there for 19 years. If this hadn\u2019t come out, how many more (victims) would there have been?\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she and other female inmates sometimes discussed their discomfort with Aber, but never felt able to report it to authorities because of his status in the jail.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to push through it when you\u2019re in jail,\u201d A.H. said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have control at all. It makes you vulnerable. If you mention anything to people about how creepy it is, you\u2019re shut down really quick, and it makes you feel like you\u2019re a liar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Elizabeth
Elizabeth Petry thinks back to being booked into the La Plata County Jail. She is an alleged victim of former La Plata Jail Cmdr. Ed Aber, who is suspected viewing strip-search videos of 117 women on more than 3,000 occasions for sexual gratification. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Aber\u2019s lawyer, Barrie Newberger King, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.<\/p>\n

A.H. said Aber was not the only jail employee who behaved inappropriately with female inmates.<\/p>\n

Howell agreed, saying she had her undershirt taken away while in solitary confinement after being placed on restriction for unexplained reasons, and avoided taking showers out of fear that male jail personnel were watching.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way the women\u2019s shower was angled, they could stand on top and see all the girls naked in the shower,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd, oh yeah \u2013 they would do it. I wouldn\u2019t get in there and shower in front of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to The National Prison Rape Elimination Act<\/a>, jail facilities are required to implement policies and procedures that allow inmates to shower, perform bodily functions and change clothing without non-medical staff of the opposite gender viewing sensitive areas.<\/p>\n

La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Sgt. Chris Burke declined to comment about Aber\u2019s case or alleged misconduct involving other staff members.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be inappropriate for me to comment on any information regarding a case in litigation,\u201d he said Friday.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re in a very vulnerable situation\u2019<\/div>\n

The alleged abuse of power by Aber is one aspect of the case that has hit victims especially hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so mad. I\u2019m still mad at (him),\u201d Howell said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s the whole environment \u2013 it trickles down. And he was in charge. He set the culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

A.H. expressed similar feelings.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Something) has to be done to stop people like this, because they have power,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re in a very vulnerable situation when we\u2019re in (the jail), and somebody in that (position of) power can definitely \u2013 and has, apparently \u2013 abused it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018There needs to be some changes\u2019<\/div>\n

A.H., Howell, Garcia and Petry said they first learned they were alleged victims from third parties \u2013 Howell from her son, which she said was \u201chumiliating\u201d \u2013 before receiving victim notification letters from the District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

D.O., a victim who requested anonymity, said the letter informing her she was a possible victim was vague.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just says, \u2018You\u2019re a victim, and this is the defendant,\u201d\u2019 she said. \u201cIt didn\u2019t describe anything. I was like, \u2018I don\u2019t know what the heck this is talking about.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Several victims who spoke for this story said they expect to deal with trauma for years to come.<\/p>\n

Howell said she hopes no other La Plata County Jail inmates \u2013 now or in the future \u2013 have to experience what she did.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere needs to be some changes made with Aber out,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe they can clean (the jail) up. \u2026 But my dream would be to not let any other inmates go through what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howell wants her story \u2013 and the stories of others allegedly violated by Aber\u2019s misconduct \u2013 to be told.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone needs to know about (my experience in the jail) \u2013 besides my poor mom,\u201d she said. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t even know everything. I don\u2019t want to tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n

A.H. said she felt silenced as a jail inmate, but is determined to be heard now. She said she wants to see systemic changes to prevent future abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to back down from this,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m really glad that there\u2019s quite a few people that are able to speak out \u2013 and are willing to. It\u2019s a little bit of vindication.\u201d<\/p>\n

epond@durangoherald.com<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Capt. Ed Aber charged with 117 misdemeanors for allegedly watching strip-search videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1357,168,28,1024,1194],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-16445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-contests","tag-crime","tag-headlines","tag-la-plata-county-jail","tag-la-plata-county-sheriffs-office"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16445"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20207,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445\/revisions\/20207"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=16445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}