(The Center Square) – A Colorado bill to prevent sexual abuse in jails is one step closer to passage.
House Bill 1123 was approved Tuesday by the House on a voice vote for its second reading. To pass in the House, the bill must be approved again on its third and final reading.
Rep. Katie Stewart, D-District 59, is a primary sponsor of HB 1123. Speaking to lawmakers on the floor Tuesday, Stewart said the bill is very personal.
“It comes from my district, where a jail commander abused his privilege of power,” said Stewart, who represents Archuleta, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties. “We've identified 117 victims of this abuse, and so, moving forward, we'd like to offer safeguards to protect folks in jail awaiting trial to make sure that they aren't violated in the same way that these 117 women were.”Stewart did not go into detail on where the alleged abuse occurred. However, various news outlets in Colorado identify the location as La Plata County Jail in Durango. In July 2025, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation charged a former jail commander, Edward Aber, with 117 counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification and one count of first-degree official misconduct.“The investigation into Aber, who was promoted to Jail Commander in 2018 and granted administrative access to evidence in 2019, focused on his alleged inappropriate viewing of sensitive video footage,” CBI said in a press release. “Aber was placed on administrative leave in July 2024 following allegations of unlawful sexual contact with female inmates and the sexual harassment of numerous female employees.”“Aber resigned in July of 2024 during the sexual harassment investigation," CBI said.According to CBI, investigators believe 117 different female inmates' strip search videos were “allegedly accessed and viewed by Aber, multiple times,” between 2019 and 2024.“The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” said CBI.In her remarks to lawmakers on Tuesday, Stewart said she has been engaging in conversations with law enforcement, victim advocacy groups, and judiciary members about her bill.“I really hope you can support this bill, and we can do better for our neighbors,” said Stewart.Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-District 1, is a co-sponsor of the bill. He said the measure is about preventing sexual abuse in Colorado jails to protect the dignity and bodily autonomy of people who are in custody.“People who are in custody, people who have no ability to leave, no ability to protect their privacy, were recorded in one of the most vulnerable moments imaginable, and those recordings were allegedly used not for security or for evidence, but for sexual exploitation,” Mabrey said, speaking to lawmakers on the House floor. “Strip searches are one of the most intrusive powers that the government has. They involve forcing a person to expose themselves for inspection, and that power must come with the highest possible safeguards.”HB 1123 requires that a strip search happens only after two peace officers agree there's a "reasonable belief" that it's necessary. It also requires the reason and results to be documented. HB 1123 also limits access to video recordings that depict prisoner nudity. And local detention facilities would be required to have a policy on responding to and reporting abuse. HB 1123 also creates “whistleblower protection policies for jail staff.”
