fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Article

Former Colorado Springs police officer featured in Hulu true-crime docuseries 'Betrayal: Dirty Secrets'

Krdo · · 435 words · By Abby Smith
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Former Colorado Springs police officer featured in Hulu true-crime docuseries 'Betrayal: Dirty Secrets'

Former Colorado Springs police officer featured in Hulu true-crime docuseries ‘Betrayal: Dirty Secrets’ COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center88%
Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Former Colorado Springs police officer featured in Hulu true-crime docuseries ‘Betrayal: Dirty Secrets’ COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

Why it matters

(KRDO) -- A new Hulu true-crime docuseries shines a spotlight on a former Colorado Springs police officer, detailing allegations of infidelity, abuse of authority and the fallout for his family.

Common ground

"Betrayal: Dirty Secrets" premieres Tuesday, Aug.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://krdo.com/news/2026/08/04/colorado-springs-officer-kern-documentary/

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
info Single Source 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info
Claim 1: “Borega, along with podcast host Andrea Gunning, appeared on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to talk about the series”
SINGLE SOURCE
While sources confirm Borega and Andrea Gunning are involved in the project, there is no specific corroboration in the provided evidence that they appeared on 'Good Morning America' on August 4.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The honeymoon phase of Joel Kern and Karoline Borega's relationship. Borega and Kern met in 1998, and married three years later in a Catholic church, with 150 guests in attendance.This article origina…
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/cop-r…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When Andrea Gunning first received Borega’s message, she was intrigued. Gunning initially believed that Borega’s story could be adapted for “Betrayal: Dirty Secrets”. However, she became certain about…
https://vviptimes.com/betrayal-dirty-secrets-how-karoline-bo…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Karoline Borega. Director of Volunteer Services.
https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/contact/karoline-borega?lan…
check_circle
Claim 2: “claims that Kern used his position as a police officer to facilitate his affairs, including accusations that he met sexual partners while on duty, according to USA Today”
CORROBORATED
KRDO explicitly cites USA Today reporting allegations that Kern used his position to facilitate affairs and meet partners while on duty.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Erika Leigh Henningsen (born August 13, 1992) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her work on Broadway and for originating the role of Cady Heron in the 2018 Tony-nominated musica…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_Henningsen
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Play for Today is a British television strand, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_for_Today
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" is a 1937 popular song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was introduced by Irene Dunne in the 1937 film High, Wide, and Handsome and was…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Folks_Who_Live_on_the_Hill
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 3: “the Betrayal documentary series... is based on the popular true-crime podcast of the same name”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the series is based on the 'Betrayal' true-crime podcast, including a TikTok description and a review of 'Betrayal: Secrets & Lies'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — BETRAYAL: THE PERFECT HUSBAND is new Hulu true-crime documentary series with three 45-minute episodes. It’s an ABC production and all three episodes are released on the premiere day so it’s easy to bi…
https://www.heavenofhorror.com/reviews/betrayal-the-perfect-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Based on the #1 true crime podcast, this three-part series from ABC News Studios uncovers the shocking case of Dr. Justin Rutherford, a charming physician whose perfect life with his new wife, Stacey,…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/betrayal-podcast-documentary
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Culture Representation: The true crime documentary series “Betrayal: Secrets and Lies” (based on the podcast series “Betrayal”) features a predominantly white group of people talking about experiences…
https://culturemixonline.com/review-betrayal-secrets-and-lie…
check_circle
Claim 4: “The three-part series follows Karoline Borega as she recounts the collapse of her marriage to former Colorado Springs Police officer Joel Kern”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (KRDO, AOL, and a dedicated Joel Kern profile) confirm that Joel Kern was a Colorado Springs Police officer and was married to Karoline Borega.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joseph Brooks (born Joseph Kaplan; March 11, 1938 – May 22, 2011) was an American songwriter, composer, filmmaker and rapist. He was a successful author of commercial jingles during the 1960s, before …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Brooks_(songwriter)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of people reported killed by non-military law enforcement officers in the United States in January 2026, whether in the line of duty or not, and regardless of reason or method. The list…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforc…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and an assistant marshal to his brother, Virgil Earp. Earp was involved in the 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral, durin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Earp
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 5: “"Betrayal: Dirty Secrets" premieres Tuesday, Aug. 4 on Hulu as the fourth season of the Betrayal documentary series”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (KRDO, and another breaking news source) confirm that 'Betrayal: Dirty Secrets' premiered on Hulu as the fourth season of the Betrayal documentary series on August 4.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of programs produced, distributed or owned by 20th Television, a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_20th_Television_progra…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dirty soda, also known as Mormon soda, is a drink consisting of soda mixed with cream, flavored syrups or fruit juices. Dirty sodas have been described as "alcohol-free mocktails with optional flavor,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_soda
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Steve Martin starred in such films as The Jerk (1979), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983), All of Me (1984), Three Amigos (1986), Roxanne (1987), Planes, Trains and Autom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin_filmography
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 6: “Mr. Kern retired while under investigation by CSPD in 2022”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Camviction, and other reports on the podcast) confirm Joel Kern retired in 2022 while under internal affairs investigation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Joel Kern served with the Colorado Springs Police Department from the late 1990s and rose to the rank of lieutenant, at one point serving as the department's interim public information officer. He ret…
https://camviction.com/blog/betrayal-dirty-secrets-joel-kern
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 2022, Kern came under investigation again, this time for having sex with a woman he met on FetLife, a social networking platform specifically designed for individuals interested in BDSM, fetishism,…
https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/07/podcast-examines-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Joel Kern had been working as a police officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department since the late 1990s.In 2022, another internal investigation began after a woman alleged that she had engaged…
https://thecinemaholic.com/joel-kern/
help
Claim 7: “According to ABC News, Kern was never charged with any crimes”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm or deny whether ABC News reported that Kern was never charged with any crimes.
check_circle
Claim 8: “It also features exclusive video from the internal affairs investigation conducted by the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD)”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web sources explicitly state that the series uses internal affairs files/investigations from the Colorado Springs Police Department.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jean Heller is an American writer and former investigative journalist. She is best known for publishing the news of the Tuskegee syphilis study in 1972, and reporting on the inaccuracies of claims by …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Heller
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kelly Bishop (born Carole Jane Bishop; on February 28, 1944) is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series Gilmore Girls and as Marjorie Houseman…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Bishop
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 9: “Mr. Kern had been the subject of multiple Internal Affairs investigations and discipline”
CORROBORATED
Evidence mentions multiple investigations, including one in 2022 and references to 'the internal affairs file that ended his badge'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Joel Kern had been working as a police officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department since the late 1990s. He always presented himself as an upright and righteous officer with a pleasant demeano…
https://thecinemaholic.com/joel-kern/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Breaking Point at CSPD. The timeline of what happened with Joel Kern Colorado Springs police officer is actually pretty tight when you look at the paperwork. In March 2022, an internal affairs inv…
https://facol.br/joel-kern-what-really-happened-to-the-color…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Joel Kern's double life, the internal affairs file that ended his badge, and why he was never charged.
https://camviction.com/blog/betrayal-dirty-secrets-joel-kern
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.