# Ep 61: Beyond the Badge: The Ugly Underneath with Carlos Rodriguez

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-the-barrel-podcast-7007491/ep-61-beyond-the-badge-the-ugly-underneath-with-carlos-rodriguez
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-the-barrel-podcast-7007491/ep-61-beyond-the-badge-the-ugly-underneath-with-carlos-rodriguez.md
Podcast: [Beyond The Barrel Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-the-barrel-podcast-7007491)
Published: 2026-05-22T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CCI2134226321.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CCI2134226321.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/beyond-the-barrel-podcast-7007491/episodes/ep-61-beyond-the-badge-the-ugly-underneath-with-carlos-rodriguez
Duration seconds: 6081

## Resource

Some cases never leave you. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Carlos Rodriguez — author of The Ugly Underneath and a former crimes-against-children detective sergeant who spent nearly three decades confronting some of the darkest realities imaginable. After 27 years with the Washington State Patrol, Carlos retired as a nationally recognized expert in child exploitation investigations and proactive operations targeting predators. As the leader of WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force and an FBI Task Force Officer, he helped develop investigative strategies that would later be modeled and replicated across the country. But behind the arrests, the operations, and the headlines was a human being carrying the emotional weight of the job. This conversation goes beyond tactics and titles. Carlos opens up about the mental toll of investigating crimes against children, the darkness investigators absorb over time, and the reality many first responders quietly battle long after the shift ends. We also discuss his book, The Ugly Underneath, and why telling these stories matters. Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths—straight, no chaser. This episode is raw, heavy, and real. Timestamps: 04:10 – Writing The Book 09:22 – Becoming A Trooper 16:26 – Police Academy Stories 24:42 – Undercover Street Racing 28:00 – Narcotics Investigations 37:26 – Crimes Against Children 44:21 – Emotional Impact 50:47 – Interviewing Predators 58:15 – Rescuing Victims 1:08:40 – Human Trafficking Cases 1:18:55 – Mental Health & Burnout 1:29:20 – Biggest Career Lessons If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f…

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## Transcript

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