Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.
Three alleged victims in a sexual gratification case against a former La Plata County Jail commander testified in front of the Colorado House Judiciary Committee on March 11, 2026. They have been leading efforts to pass Colorado House Bill 26-1123.
The measure, which passed out of committee, would tighten regulations around strip searches, including prohibiting the use of bodycams to capture videos during strip searches when other forms of recording or surveillance are available. It also limits access to video recordings that depict prisoner nudity. The bill also creates whistleblower protections for jail staff.
In July, former La Plata County Commander Edward Aber was accused of using his administrative access to watch strip-search videos of female inmates. He is accused of watching the videos more than 3,000 times for his own sexual gratification.
“It took a lot for me to be here today because of the injustice I have experienced and still endure without the government system,” testified Shrell Begay. “I am also here to represent Native American women and the atrocities that we still experience to this day.”
Begay is one of 117 female inmates who were included in the case.
“I hope my experience is a voice for other women to have the courage and the resilience to stand up for themselves and others,” she told the committee. “I truly hope that your sisters, your nieces, your daughters, don’t have to go through what I have to go through.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Aber was charged with 118 misdemeanors for offenses that happened between 2019 and 2024. Earlier this month, Aber pleaded not guilty and turned down a plea deal. A hearing for his trial is scheduled for August 2026.
Advocates and survivors argue that the court is being too lenient on the former commander. Victims in the case have filed a class-action lawsuit against the La Plata County Sheriff's Department. According to the survivors, Aber’s actions have taken a psychological toll.
“I struggle with depression, I find it hard to enjoy things I used to love, and I find myself breaking down quite frequently,” testified Katrina Lile, who is also a survivor of Commander Aber’s abuses.
“Many of us didn’t know it was being recorded or (that) it was being saved in such intimate moments.”
Last July, Lile learned that she was a victim in the case.
“I called the district attorney’s office in a state of shock," Lile told the committee. “And they confirmed the details. The emotional toll was immediate. The very next day, my son, who is autistic, saw me crying and he said, 'Mommy, it’s okay to cry.'”
Lile contacted Rep. Katie Stewart (D) of Durango and the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault to ensure this never happens to anyone else. Rep. Stewart, who represents House District 59, immediately started working with victims of the case, along with Durango Sexual Assault Services and CCASA. Elizabeth Newman, the Public Policy Director at CCASA, says this legislation is unique.
“This is really a survivor-led, survivor-driven effort,” Newman said. “When the survivors spoke, everyone really turned to listen. It was a moment you could feel the energy in the room shift.”
In 2003, Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the first U.S law that sought to prevent sexual abuse in jails. However, advocates say it’s not enough, especially given the abuse of power that happened in La Plata County.
Newman said it’s powerful to watch people take a painful situation and turn it into a movement for change.
“They are really stepping forward, demanding accountability, demanding limits on strip searches, demanding change so that there can be safer places for people across the state,” added Newman.
Survivors received funding from the Women’s Foundation of Colorado to pay for travel to testify in Denver.
The bill advanced with a 7 to 4 vote along party lines. It will now move to the House Appropriations Committee.
