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Two police officers were charged over allegations that they illegally searched women’s phones for nude photos during traffic stops.
This week, two former Missouri police officers were accused of similar crimes — pulling over women and searching their phones for nudes — in separate, unconnected cases.
Julian Alcala, who was employed as a full-time Police Officer by the Florissant Police Department in Eastern Missouri until June, was indicted on Wednesday on charges of unlawfully searching 20 women’s cellphones to obtain nude photos during traffic stops.
Between February and May this year, 29-year-old Alcala confiscated and searched 20 victims’ phones under the guise of checking the drivers’ insurance or registration.
Using his own cellphone, Alcala captured explicit images found on the drivers’ phones by taking photos of them. Five of the alleged crimes happened on the same day.
During one traffic stop, Alcala reportedly found a video on one victim’s phone and sent the clip to his own phone via text message before attempting to erase evidence of the text.
Alcala pleaded not guilty to 21 charges in court: one count of destroying records related to a federal investigation and 20 counts of violating rights, specifically the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. He was released on bond.
Meanwhile, former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper David McKnight also faced the same charges this week.
Between September 2023 and August this year, McKnight allegedly victimized nine women. The 39-year-old former cop would typically pull over a woman for a traffic violation and tell her he needed to look at her phone to either verify her identity or confirm insurance coverage.
According to the indictment, McKnight searched the phones and used his own phone to photograph nude pictures he found. McKnight was arrested by patrol investigators in August and resigned five days later.
On Thursday, McKnight pleaded not guilty to 10 charges during a court appearance: one count of destroying records in a federal investigation and nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, people should not hesitate to report uncomfortable encounters with police officers.
“If you feel your civil rights have been violated, contact the FBI,” Ashley Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI St. Louis Division, says in a statement. “Investigating criminal conduct by a law enforcement officer is among our top priorities.”
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
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