2 Missouri officers accused of stealing nude photos from dozens of women’s phones during traffic stops

Two former Missouri officers were indicted in federal court this week in separate, unrelated cases over allegations they illegally searched women’s phones during traffic stops to obtain intimate and sexually explicit images found on the devices.

Julian Alcala, a 29-year-old clerk for the city of Florissant, has been charged with 20 counts of deprivation of rights and a count of destroying records as part of a federal investigation, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Thursday.

Deprivation of rights specifically refers to freedom from unreasonable search and seizure as embodied in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

According to the federal indictment, Alcala was taking women’s phones during traffic stops to verify insurance coverage or vehicle registration. However, the indictment stated that Alcala searched for nude images on his phones and took the photos with his personal phone.

In one case, Alcala allegedly sent him a video message and deleted evidence of the text.

Alcala is accused of doing this to 20 women between February 6 and May 18 of this year.

The Florissant Police Department told NBC News on Wednesday that it was completely unaware of the alleged conduct. Alcala had undergone a “rigorous and comprehensive background check” during the hiring process, and the department had not received any complaints about him in the 11 months he had worked.

“We are disgusted by this behavior, which is a complete betrayal of the values ​​we stand for and in no way reflects the professionalism and integrity of our dedicated officers,” the department said. “We recognize the seriousness of this breach of trust and the impact it has on our community.”

Alcala resigned in June after being contacted by the FBI regarding an investigation into the Florissant Police Department, the department said.

A lawsuit reminiscent of federal prosecutors’ claim was also filed against Alcala and the city. The lawsuit, filed last month in the same district court, alleges that Alcala sent him a private video of a couple having sex.

Jane Doe was pulled over in February and Alcala allegedly took her phone back to her vehicle while presenting insurance information he had stored on the device. He said he noticed “there was a deleted text message” from the moment he was stopped, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit said Alcala sent him the video and deleted the message “in an attempt to cover his tracks.” He is also accused of taking nude photos from the woman’s phone at the same stop.

Attorney Bevis Schock is representing six people in the city’s civil suit against Alcala. he said NBC News partner KSDK He said his clients were “really good, normal people who did what the police officers told them to do.”

“The beginning of this was the FBI searching for the victims,” ​​Schock said. “And every victim said, ‘I pulled over and he took my phone back.'”

Court records show an arrest warrant was issued for Alcala on Wednesday, but it is unclear whether he is in custody. He has not yet appeared in court and his lawyer is not listed.

NBC News was unable to find Alcala’s contact information using public records to reach him for comment on the case. An attorney representing the city of Florissant in a civil lawsuit in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A similar but unrelated lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office against a former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper.

David McKnight, 39, was indicted in the same federal court on nine counts of deprivation of rights and one count of destruction of records. Federal prosecutors allege he illegally called nine women’s phones between September 2023 and August 2024 while he was working for the highway patrol.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, McKnight used his own phone to take photos of nude images on the women’s phones after they gave him devices that would show their insurance or identification information. The office said most of the women were pulled over for traffic stops.

The department said in a statement that McKnight joined the Missouri State Highway Patrol in 2021. The statement stated that a criminal investigation was launched against him in August and ministry inspectors arrested him on August 21.

“McKnight resigned from the Patrol on August 26 and is no longer a member of our agency,” the highway patrol said.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety said in a statement to NBC News that records show McKnight surrendered his state peace officer license, “which means he can never work as a Missouri law enforcement officer again.”

The federal prosecutor’s office told NBC News that McKnight’s and Alcala’s cases are not related. It is unclear whether any of the men are in custody.

A public defender assigned to McKnight’s case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

F.B.I. St. Ashley Johnson, special agent in charge of the St. Louis Division, told people not to hesitate to report disturbing encounters with officers. Both cases were investigated by the FBI, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“If you believe your civil rights have been violated, contact the FBI,” Johnson said. “Investigating criminal conduct by a law enforcement officer is among our top priorities.”

This article was first published on: NBCNews.com