Former La Plata County Jail Cmdr. Ed Aber, accused of secretly viewing thousands of strip search videos of female inmates, appeared in court Thursday to face 117 counts of invasion of privacy, and was prohibited from unlawfully contacting any victim or witness in the case.
La Plata County Court, presided over by Judge Richard Schmittel, convened at 9 a.m. for an advisement hearing. The misdemeanor charges stem from a 39-page complaint filed by the District Attorney’s Office on July 23, which alleges Aber illegally accessed and viewed over 3,000 strip-search videos of more than 100 female inmates during his tenure.
The brief hearing, lasting less than 10 minutes, focused on protection, non-harassment and no-contact orders for the 117 alleged victims named in the complaint. Schmittel cited Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18-1-1001 in the protection order, which prohibits Aber from harassing, intimidating or retaliating against any victim or witness in the case.
Separate no-contact orders were issued for victims and witnesses. Aber and his attorney, Barrie Newberger King, did not object to the terms and agreed to return later Thursday to sign the documents.
The case has drawn significant attention because of the scale and sensitive nature of the charges and evidence.
Aber has been accused of illegally viewing the videos “for the purpose of the defendant’s own sexual gratification,” according to the complaint.
A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 13 at 9 a.m., after a mutual agreement between the defense and prosecution. Defense attorney Newberger King cited the “fairly voluminous” discovery of case information and evidence. Deputy DAs Emily Morin and William Davis emphasized the need to ensure “meaningful communication” with the large number of victims.
The Sexual Assault Services Organization, which has worked with inmates at the La Plata County Jail and the Hilltop House Community Corrections facility, issued a news release Wednesday in response to the allegations against Aber.
“SASO is deeply disturbed by the recent revelations regarding former La Plata County Jail Commander Ed Aber, who is alleged to have committed serious violations of privacy and professional conduct,” it said. “The actions described in this case represent an appalling abuse of power and trust, and we will continue to fight alongside survivors for accountability and systemic change.”
SASO also noted that the District Attorney’s Office sent out victim notification letters through physical mail July 28 to the last-known addresses on file for all named victims in the case. SASO encouraged anyone who believes themselves to be victims but did not receive a letter, to contact Cassie Meredith with Victim Services at the District Attorney’s Office at 382-6346 in reference to DA Case #25M532.
“Addresses of people from 2019 through 2024 could really be out of date, and I want to make sure that people are being notified if they are identified as a victim in the case,” said Laura Latimer, executive director at SASO.
“Notices were sent out to every named victim,” said District Attorney Sean Murray. “We have two advocates on the case. If anyone is concerned whether or not they are a victim, we encourage them to call our office.”
Murray did not respond to questions about the extent of information that has been available to victims relating to privacy violations within notification letters, or what other response measures may be currently being employed by the DA’s office to address victim needs.
epond@durangoherald.com
