Former Colorado Deputy Arrested Over Child Exploitation

Jesus Damian Nieblas, a former San Miguel County sheriff’s deputy who resigned in late June, was arrested in Agua Prieta, Mexico, after fleeing the U.S. following Colorado Bureau of Investigation searches of his Norwood home and vehicle in July. Evidence seized during those searches allegedly included dozens of child sexual-abuse videos and led to probable-cause arrest warrants; reporting lists roughly 28 felony counts of sexual exploitation and about 27 counts for failure to report child abuse, though class designations and exact counts vary by report. Mexican authorities transferred Nieblas into U.S. Marshals custody at the Douglas, Arizona, border checkpoint, and he is being held at the Cochise County Jail in Bisbee on a $100,000 cash-only bond. Authorities say the investigation began after an acquaintance reported alleged child pornography, and legal processes delayed public disclosure of his custody until late September/early October. The case remains active as officials await extradition and further legal proceedings, with his next court date pending.