So out of those 141 um almost all of them were were child. >> A sworn protector of the people now at the center of a disturbing investigation. >> I'm just here to get your side story. How did this happen? How make me understand is how this happened. >> Well, there's probably nothing I can say that's going to make you understand. In May 2022, the Sandival County Sheriff's Office discovered images of child abuse on devices belonging to Deputy Robert Jesse Strand. >> Hey, special agent opinion. Special agent in charge Clarence Gibson. Yes, sir. >> I have a search warrant for your residence. I have a search warrant for any electronic device that's on your person. >> So, you need to turn over any cell phone you have. Is this the only cell phone? >> Yeah. >> Is this personal or which one's personal? Which one? >> Personal. >> Work. >> Work. >> Okay. I'm going to ask you if you want to sit down and talk with us about why we have a search warrant for your residence. This is up to you. It's totally up to you. I'm not going to, you know, we can't force you to to speak with us. If you want to speak with us, we'll go behind the door here and me and special agent Gibson will talk with you. All right, come on in. >> Like I said, we'll go behind the door so no one else can just go and have a seat right there for me. So due to the fact you know this is an an interview okay um on a on tell you I what I do okay is I do internet crimes against children okay there's been some reports of some incidents of uh some activity >> okay >> coming from your >> basically your electronic device in your possession >> and was reported to the national center for missing exploited I'm just here to get your side of the story. I'm not here to pass any >> No, you're fine. >> Um, so well, first of all, what you like everything else, we have to do all your advisor, right? >> Okay. >> I'm going to give you a page to kind of go along with me. All right. >> He looks calm, but you can tell from his fidgeting, he knows exactly what they're after. This isn't just some surprise birthday search. This is the digital guillotine pulling up receipts from his phone. And yet he still has the audacity to play the innocent. >> What happened was some images and some GIFs were report were uploaded through the backup service. It's called Synchro is the backup for like Verizon and stuff like that. Currently your cell phone is through >> your Yeah, your Verizon. So when you first sign up for Verizon, you get this 3mon backup service for free. What happened was when you had your cell phone >> and you had that service, >> everything that you had on your phone got backed up. >> Okay. >> Okay. By by federal law, >> Mhm. All providers, all of what they call ESPs or electronic service providers are required by federal law that if they see anything that meets the state criteria or meets the criteria for or looks like childy or child materials, >> they have the they have they have to report it to the National Center for Miss. >> So at that point there was five and so what happens when the National Center for Missing Exploited Children gets it? >> Mhm. these these reports they have to they have to look at okay where does the cell phone come back to who's who who's connected to the cell phone uh what emails >> enter Synchronos the cloud service that backed up every dark corner of his digital life Verizon gave him 3 months free strand used it to archive horror and here's the twist by law that service must report anything that resembles child abuse which means this wasn't a one-off this was caught flagged, traced and reported five separate times. Five. >> So I will tell you that is the email that was attached to to these and this was also the same phone number that was attached to all those reports going forward. So um so it captures a lot of information. So like if you you know log in your phone with your email or whatever it's going to catch that and all that stuff gets reported up. In this case there was five separate times. So it basically lasted between January of 2021 and about uh March sometime in March like March 22nd March 25th of 2020 21 is when we got the reports. >> I'm not saying that's when the backup happened. >> Did you get that? Did you get a new phone around January of 2021? >> I think so. I think that's when I bought it. >> And when asked the direct question, was it the child content he was interested in? He denies it. But the data already answered for him. >> All these images. So throughout the whole five uh cyber tips, there was 141 images >> and some of them are GIFs. You know what a GIF is? It's like a little meme type thing where there's like a short video type thing. There's generally no sound. It's a clip. >> So out of those 141, um almost all of them were were childy. >> So then I did a search warrant two synchronos, >> right? and they gave me pretty much everything that was backed up. And in that backup was, you know, uh pictures of you, some videos of you that that weren't child materials and like, uh, your guide licenses and stuff. I have PDFs and stuff like that, text messages and stuff like that. So, I'm just here to find out >> how those images >> Mhm. >> were on your cuz we know they were on your phone cuz they got backed up. >> Mhm. >> How they got to your phone. Okay. Okay. And I'm just here to just to get yours >> side. I'm not here to cast any >> I'm not I'm not I'm not a judge and I'm not a jury. I'm just here to get your side story. How did this happen? How make me understand is how this happened. >> Well, there's probably nothing I can say that's going to make you understand. >> Then comes the payload. 141 pieces of content, pictures, gifs, motionless, and moving glimpses of real children being abused. The agent breaks it down slowly, clinically. Strand, meanwhile, stares like he's hearing the weather. No outrage, no shock, no guilt, just the hollow demeanor of a man who's run out of lies. That makes sense. >> But we I mean, we are going to talk about do you have contact with children and stuff like that. You know, I understand you have a brother who has a niece and stuff like that, but we'll get to that here in a minute. I just want to hear your side >> of why how this happened. I don't really know. >> Did you? All right, let's let's just go. So, how did you first come in knowledge of these images that were out there and how they get how do they get to your phone? >> Uh, pretty much downloading. >> Okay. >> And then, >> and when you say, let's let's just break it into everything. >> Adult or child? >> Adult. >> Okay. >> That's how it started. >> Yeah. >> Okay. And then then what happened? You just found it and then got an interest in it >> a little bit. >> Okay. >> But then everything's deleted. So >> Okay. >> Um, so do you know when you got this phone exactly? >> I don't. >> Okay. And where did you buy where did you get that phone from? >> Pressed to explain, he finally coughs up a sliver of truth. He downloaded it. started with adult then dipped lower then lower still he claims curiosity as if that explains anything. >> So in the time frame we were talking about January 2021 to March 2021 those images and GIFs were on your phone. >> No >> no when did you get rid of them? >> Uh >> exactly >> all >> okay >> I got rid of all right by the way. Okay. And when do you mean right right away? >> I just need to know because I want to make sure that the national center isn't reporting something that that isn't that it wasn't true, >> right? >> U for one and just to find a time frame >> of when you had those >> images. >> I couldn't tell you. >> Okay. >> And I couldn't even tell you if if it was >> okay. >> I couldn't. >> Okay. So here here's here's here's here's the other question I have. When I got when I did that search warrant to to Synchronos, which is the backup service for Verizon, >> um they didn't report any adult >> with it. >> Yeah. >> It's all child. >> Is it what you're interested in? >> No. >> Okay. So, when you you've never to Okay. >> Now, the timeline gets blurry. The agent wants to nail down the when Strand can't or won't provide one. He insists he got rid of it right away, but can't define right away. >> So, just off the internet, was there any specific other sites that you went to that I >> just late at night going through your phone looking for? >> Yeah, >> that type of deal. >> Yeah, I did get viruses. I don't know. >> Okay. All right. >> I I I like I said, I don't >> You don't remember this time period you were doing it? Was it before 2021? Was it after 2020? >> Okay. Next, he blames the internet. Late nights, scrolling, maybe a virus, he says. Just a guy falling down the wrong digital rabbit hole. No specifics, no dates, just the same empty deflections. The kind of vague noise people make when the truth would bury them. Then it gets personal. They ask about a child seen with him in photos presumed to be his niece. Is there any time that you're alone with your niece? >> No. >> And what's your niece's name? >> She's not even my niece. It's a buddy. >> Oh, I thought it was her brother. >> No. >> Okay. Everyone thought he was your brother. >> No. >> I was kind of wondering cuz he has a different last name. Alid. >> Well, nobody's in danger of being >> I mean, I understand cuz I would do the same thing. >> Yes. >> I I get it. >> So, cuz his name's Andrew, right? >> Andrew. >> Mhm. >> You've never been alone with his daughter? >> No. Okay. >> No. >> And the reason we asked that is because there's >> I understand >> pictures >> Yeah. >> on social media of you guys together with the with with with her. >> Yeah. >> You know her name? >> Uh but never alone? No. >> Okay. Where does he live? Does he live? >> Someone says he >> Salman. >> Salman. Okay. So, just let you know a little bit about what's going to happen with the phones. We have forensic people, >> right? They take it down. >> They take your Well, they'll see everything, even stuff that you think you may have deleted. And this is just I'm just giving you your opportunity to become upfront about anything else that may be that that you're not telling us here that you may want to say different now than knowing that there are going to be full forensic exams done on this. >> Um so um if there's anything that you need to change now or or tell me different now. I told you I downloaded just and >> okay >> once I realized that some things were bad I erased it right away. >> Okay. So what it's going to happen we're going to wait for the exams >> to be done. >> Okay. >> Okay. Um I now I have nothing to do with what's going to happen with with the service department. Um but for for now currently right now um we're not arresting you >> unless you cuz he's going to start exam right now on these phones. If he finds anything on these phones I am like I said I'm going to be honest with you. You ask if I find any >> or anything like that that you will we will arrest you. >> Why not? >> Okay. >> All right. Like I said, everything that I've downloaded, >> whether it want to be not this or that, and I've seen it, I erase it. >> Okay. >> It's like, >> okay. And like I said, that's why I wanted to get your side and just be like, well, hey, >> yeah, >> he's I wanted to hear your understanding of it. And and generally, that's what we do is we we don't automatically go in blind going, okay, was let's let's get this guy. >> These aren't just routine questions. They're looking for escalation, grooming, access, and Strand knows it. >> Well, I said anything that was there that I seen after, I would just erase it. >> And you can't tell me exactly. >> I I don't I don't >> when that occurred. I mean, generally, you could place it around an event. >> Was it like Christmas of 2020, Thanksgiving? >> I can't I can't >> Okay. >> Was it or like was it was it 2021? Was it 2020? Was it? >> So, I got a bad problem. Sometimes I drink a little too much. >> Yeah. >> You know, and once I do that, I kind of just go off and I can't don't realize a lot of things till the next day. >> Okay. >> And it's just like, >> okay. You think this was during one of those times? >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Cuz like I said, as soon as I seen it, I'll race it, you know. >> Okay. All right. like yeah, you might see stuff that's been erased on there, but >> okay. And at least with >> but >> if we find stuff that's been deleted, >> there's nothing on there >> that's going to give us a time frame at least of when that >> cuz at least when you delete something, there's a there's a date, >> right, >> and a time >> that's been when that was deleted. It'll also show a date and a time when that was uploaded. So, or when it's downloaded from whatever site you're looking at and and and downloaded to there. >> So, how does that work? >> What's that? >> So, let's say, >> you know, I said I didn't deny that they were there when I seen them and obviously raised. >> Yes, sir. >> How does that work? >> We're going to take So, let this So, this is how it'll work. We could I mean you're right. We could say that um you you did do it >> or you did have it on your phone. >> Yeah. >> So let's say we see a download, >> right? >> The date is let's say just throwing out a date. It's not necessarily the date. Let's say it's January blah blah blah >> of 2021. >> Erased few days later, >> oh shoot, it's on there. >> Mhm. >> No other downloads. >> Mhm. After that, >> I have to believe your story. >> Yeah. >> Cuz it it matches to what you're telling me >> that matches. So, we'll take your forensics and compare it to what you what what you're saying here >> cuz I'm not here to say what you're telling me isn't the truth. >> No. >> And there's no way for me to do that cuz I wasn't there at your house. I didn't see that to go on. And then so if it's this one snapshot deal >> and then there's an erase right after >> like right after I'm going to I'll go forward to my prosecutors and be like this is what he told me. This is what the forensic showed. >> Mhm. >> That it it it confirms his story, >> right? >> It confirms what he told me. >> Mhm. >> Probably nothing happens. >> Mhm. >> Cuz I have to believe what you're telling me. Now, we're also going to look at was there adult >> mixed in with this child. If that also confirms your story, okay, it was I it got mixed in with the rest of it. I was drunk. Didn't know it as Oh, okay. And it may have got in there. Okay. We're going to look at the totality of everything, compare it to this interview, what you told me today, >> and then that's where we go from there. >> Yeah. I I I do have a problem. I get drunk a lot. >> Okay. And I understand that. And you know, and I know in this >> in the letter in the eyes of the law, >> being being inebriated isn't isn't a valid. >> No, I know. I know. >> Um but um it's going to be a process. I'm not going to tell you that it's going to be forensics. >> See what we got. Let's see what happened. >> Is it does it does it coincide with the N to the National Center's missing exploit children cyber tips? >> Mhm. you know, um I mean there was a lot there was 141. >> Yeah. >> These images and and these GIFs, these little snippet of videos that are child >> very young. >> Strand tries to be sneaky about the whole ordeal. This was the exact reason he was arrested without notice. He would try to coers his fellows into covering up for him, which is why when asked about forensics, he was denied information. >> I'm bringing the phone with you. >> Yeah. um you know, none of them were under or over 10. >> I mean, some of them. So, even out there, there's these um what what we call child um identified victims. >> Mhm. >> Whatever happens on that side, we have no control. What what we have control over is what happens on our side. Again, >> it's going to go to prosecutions. This is what we have. This is what was told to us. They'll look at it. They'll look at the statement. They'll look at this video of this interview. They'll look at everything in totality and then they then we'll move forward from that. Okay. >> All right. Following the discovery, Deputy Strand was immediately detained. >> How you doing? Hey, sir. Can you do me a favor? Sit your paperwork on the tailgate right there. Go ahead and place your hands behind your back for me. Go ahead and relax your legs. >> Okay. But I don't want you to take anything you don't need to have. >> All right. Need to double lock off these for you. Too tight on you. >> No. Walk this way. Go ahead and have a seat real fast. So, we have you out of the light. Okay, >> cool. >> You got it. >> After being arrested unexpectedly, Detective Strand remained calm as he was taken into custody by his own colleagues. It's a strange situation to be caught by the same people you work with. If you're thinking they'll let him off easy cuz he's got a badge, then keep watching. >> I just want him in the car quickly cuz I don't want to make a big scene here. >> Yeah, I appreciate it. >> Uh when I get him over there, I'll get him into a place where when I transfer the real we'll search him better. >> Okay. Um, but I just don't want this out for you guys. >> Okay. All right. We're going to get out of the way. Thank you. >> If he were just another civilian, his name would be splattered across every headline without a second thought. But when it's a cop arresting his buddy, suddenly discretion becomes the word of the day. Funny how that works, huh? >> Special agent, can you tell you why you're being placed under arrest with this? You're being placed under arrest where we get an arrest warrant for you sworn out today for possession of the chopper. or possession of exploitation of a child of a of childhood possession statute. Okay. The biggest thing for me is I do this for everybody. I don't want to be seen by anything. Somebody be as discreet as possible. Cooperate with me. We'll be fine. Um let's get this portion done and do what we got to do. Moving Detective Strand to avoid the limelight raises questions about the validity of the search. With fewer witnesses, there's a higher risk of evidence tampering, which could compromise the integrity of the investigation. >> Okay. So, I didn't search you. >> Go ahead. >> Um, no. I'm not going to do it now. Wait till Rio gets here. I'm going to advise them and then we're going to do a search. I just didn't want you there. >> Okay. >> Um, I don't like to do that with anyone. I like to get them out of the limelight over here. I think we'll be okay. Do you have anything on you that you need to leave here? >> I don't think so. >> I know you had a holster for uh mags or whatever. >> Holsters. Yeah, you can take them off. >> Well, no. I mean, it's they're covered. I don't care. So, >> all right, sir. Go ahead and give me the name. >> It's going to be Sherry. >> Sherry Strand. St. >> Okay. As soon as they're completed the residence with the search warrant, I'll let her know and we'll get that handled for you. >> So, I know you probably can't tell me what was it telling you was in the deleted section. >> Uh, sir, I don't see I'm not that guy. >> Okay. >> Um, so >> I know there was nothing. Yeah, I don't I don't deal with the forensics. I'm unaware of how that operates. I mean, I have a very >> very small um IQ when it comes to that, but I'm sure that uh special agent Penny will be able to answer some questions for you. Absolutely. >> Okay. >> I wish I did, but I do not. No, >> you're fine. >> Nevertheless, the arresting officer is abiding by his duty and making sure no step is missed out while obtaining Strand's information. So, what happens from >> uh they'll go ahead and finish processing all the scenes. Okay. >> Um we're going to turn you over to Rio Rancho Police Department for transport and detention. >> Okay. >> And uh >> is it going to be this jail here or Santa Fe? Do you know, >> sir? I don't I I'm unaware of how Yeah, I'm unaware of how Rio Rancho deals with these types of detentions. I'm I I don't know. >> Okay. >> Um but I'm sure you know we'll advise them um of who you are. >> Okay. And uh so that'll be taken into consideration, of course. >> As soon as Strand is informed that he will be transported to a police station, the color drains out of his face as he thinks of ways to get out of this. Good thing he's wearing sunglasses, or else I'm sure we could witness his desperation some more. >> I really wish you guys would cuz Leo knows me just as well. >> The >> That's what's Yeah. >> the baddest. >> We We've made it a policy. do utilize New Mexico State Police or local jurisdictional officers to transport for us. So, um that's kind of how we run the process. >> What do you get enough cool air? >> Yeah. >> It's warm much, but I guess it's better than not having it. >> Yeah. >> You guys are going to lock everything up. >> What's that? >> You going to lock everything up on my house? Yeah, they'll secure it when they're complete. >> I appreciate it. >> No problem. >> Need to get some cooler weather would be nice. Let me know if you're comfy or not. Too cold, too hot. Let me know. >> Okay. I appreciate it, man. >> Oh, no problem. being chauffeered around and worrying about his air conditioning while the rest of us would be lucky to be thrown in a squad car with decent seats. Strand even requested to speak with the agent on his case to gain insight on the investigation. A privilege not typically granted to many in similar situations. >> So, where where' the other agent go? >> Uh, he's in our command post. >> Oh, is he? >> Yeah. You want to speak with him? >> I don't think he can answer any of my questions. >> If you have something you'd like to ask him, I'm sure he'd be willing to try to answer. >> Detective Strand, the man of the hour, getting VIP access to his own interrogation. >> Sir, Mr. Strand, sir, >> I don't know how much he can answer, but was that found in the deleted section? >> Um, I can't give you that right now. Okay. >> It'll be listed in in the uh where it was found. >> Okay. >> Um in the in in in the arrest war. >> Yeah. Anything I knew about was >> Okay. All right. >> That's what I was asking. >> Okay. No problem. >> I think you guys been arrested for that. >> Okay. >> So, what what's next? >> Um what's next is uh Rio's coming. They're going to >> transport you to their holding cell. >> Okay. >> And then I'm going to finish out my warrant, send it to my prosecutors. prosecutor is going to uh approve it and then I'm going to walk over here and get a judge to look to see if they can get a judge to sign the arrest warrant. Once the arrest warrant is signed out, you'll be booked on that arrest warrant. All right. Any other questions? >> No. No. I I appreciate you guys. >> Okay. Thank you, sir. >> Despite trying to weasle his way out of this situation, Detective Strand now faces the bitter end of the stick. Detective Robert Strand was arrested and taken to jail where he faced two felony charges related to crimes against children. He was later compelled to resign from his position. And here's where Strand's dark deeds are finally brought to light. In total, authorities discovered 92 images and gifts showing children from the ages of 13 to as young as one. You heard me, one being sexually abused by adults. These downloads were inevitably traced back to Strand among heaps of other incriminating evidence. In the end of the day, a crime is a crime and you'll face punishment for it. Blue or not, let this case be a reminder. Justice doesn't wear a uniform. It strips them off. [Music]