A former New Mexico police officer is facing more than a decade in federal prison. He’s alleged to have used his badge to prey on at least one teenage girl.

It’s not the first time 4 Investigates discovered similar allegations against him, years apart, spanning three different police agencies.

It was a big deal at the time. A certified police officer bringing his years of experience to the Deming Police Department.

“I have to say it, I have to eat it, we allowed this to happen because we hired him,” said Deming Captain of Patrol Jose Montoya.

Montoya said he now knows the real reason Jesus Lopez, Jr. walked into his station looking for work in 2023. Hindsight that came only after Lopez was arrested under his and Chief Sergio Lara’s watch.

“He infiltrated our department just to be a predator,” said Montoya.

Prosecutors say Lopez used his badge to lure a 16-year-old girl into a sexual relationship that turned violent.

The victim said Lopez would force her to drink alcohol, force her to have sex while recording it on his phone. He allegedly hit her then threatened her, pointing his department-issued rifle at her.

“I’m always disappointed when an officer misconduct happens, and charges are brought up,” said Bayard Police Chief Hector Carrillo.

Carrillo is police chief of Bayard. A smaller town an hour north of Deming. It’s where Lopez Jr. started his career as an officer in 2020. Lopez was the town’s only police officer when Carrillo took office.

It’s all laid out in an officer misconduct case, what’s known as an LEA90. Carrillo sent it to our state’s law enforcement certification board two years ago.It’s our state’s only avenue to revoke or suspend an officer’s law enforcement certification.

In the report, Carrillo said he discovered Lopez was messaging high school girls. Girls he met after breaking up a juvenile house party.

The misconduct report says Lopez was interfering in criminal cases by contacting women shortly after their arrests and blatantly disobeying orders.

Lopez was fired in 2022. Within weeks, Lopez was hired at the Lordsburg Police Department as an emergency hire.

The department there was so short-staffed it was dangerous. Carrillo said the department never called him.

“I made that courtesy call to chief Salazar. He was the acting chief at the time, gave him, just a heads up. I said ‘Hey, this is what happened here. I’m filing an LEA90 and his response to me was ‘Well, I know him.’”

Salazar disputes that, but what’s not in dispute is in a matter of months there was another incident in Lordsburg. The mayor confirms he was fired from there too.

Captain Montoya said Deming checked with HR in Bayard and a supervisor. He said it matched what Lopez told them.

“He assured me that the chief of Bayard at the time was just out to get him, and it was all false,” said Montoya.

He said background investigators never found his disciplinary LEA90 waiting for review at our state’s Law Enforcement Academy.

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety has made it near impossible for the public to get information of officer’s accused of serious misconduct. Just recently it changed its policy. Misconduct reports are not available for public review.

“The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has clarified the policy to better reflect current law. Changes in disclosure practices result from amendments to the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) through House Bill 232 (2023) and recent court rulings, including Henry v. Gauman (2023) and Hall v. City of Carlsbad (2023). This impacts how DPS and other agencies apply disclosure requirements.

Final agency decisions related to LEA-90s remain public records under IPRA, ensuring accountability. However, investigative materials, including internal affairs reports and disciplinary documents, remain confidential to protect the integrity of investigations and individual privacy.

Final agency decisions are updated in the misconduct database within a business week of final order and are published to the portal to ensure timely public access.”

Instead, people are directed to this website. It’s a new misconduct database users can search for a police officer’s case.  But it does not list an officer whose misconduct case is pending. Only after an investigation and board action would someone get basic information like whether the case was dismissed or if discipline was taken on an officer’s license.

In Lopez’s case, it took our state’s Law Enforcement Certification Board two years to review and act. In fact, only after his arrest in 2024 did our state finally get to those 2022 allegations. The board chose to revoke his license.

A little too late if you ask Bayard Chief Carrillo.

Federal prosecutors took over the case against former police officer Lopez.

“We consider production one of the more serious offenses,” said Alexander Uballez, United States Attorney for New Mexico.

He now faces a charge of producing child pornography.

“Once you produce something, especially if you share it online, it exists forever. Really, that is an ongoing offense that hurts a child for life,” said Uballez.

If convicted, Lopez will spend a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

“I wish Santa Fe would have been more on the ball with that one,” said Capt. Montoya with the Deming Police Department.

“Folks who serve in a position of authority are given a special trust by all of us in the community,” said Uballez.