Ex-Missouri cop faces charges, lawsuits for looking through women's phones for nude photos
A law enforcement officer in Missouri was indicted by a grand jury last week on allegations of looking through multiple women's phones and storing their naked photos in his device, officials say.
According to a Nov. 14 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, Julian Alcala, a former officer with the Florissant Police Department, is accused of searching through 20 victim's phones between February and May 2024. Local news reported that the women said the interactions happened when he pulled them over while on the job.
The 29-year-old committed the alleged acts by taking "possession of their cell phones under the auspices of confirming their insurance coverage or vehicle registration, searched the phones for nude pictures and then took photos of the pictures with his personal cell phone," per the indictment cited by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In one instance, Alcala texted himself a video from a woman's phone.
Alcala was federally charged with 20 counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of destroying records on a federal investigation. According to reports, multiple victims have taken legal action against Acala and Florissant, a city located about 18 miles from St. Louis.
Police department responds to Alcala's charges
Florissant Police released a statement addressing the indictment against Alcala, who was employed with the department for less than a year.
The department was notified about the FBI St. Louis Division's probe against Alcala in June, which resulted in his resignation.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the agency denounced the behavior, calling it "disgusting."
"We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community. Rebuilding that trust is our top priority, and we are committed to transparency, accountability, and regaining the confidence of those we serve," the statement continued.
Another officer was indicted for similar allegations in a separate case
Another officer, identified as 39-year-old David McKnight, faces similar charges.
McKnight, an ex-Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, is said to have searched through the nine victim's cell phones during traffic stops, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He would later delete the pictures.
The incidents occurred between September 2023 and August 2024.
McKnight was indicted on nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of destroying records in a federal investigation, per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
KFVS reported that McKnight resigned from his position in late August. According to the news station, a victim, Emily Northern, recalled her interaction with McKnight, who pulled her over for expired tags during the summer.
In her account, Northern claimed that when she tried to show her proof of insurance on her phone, he asked if he could take it to his patrol car.
"He was on my photos for 5 minutes. He was in my Snapchat for also like 5 minutes and my settings and my text messages," Northern said, per the outlet. “I was a mess. I was crying. It was such an awful feeling knowing he was going through my phone like I’ve got private personal photos of me. I have children on there."
He reportedly pleaded not guilty during a court appearance last Thursday.
Although the accusations are similar, a spokesperson for the FBI St. Louis Division told CNN that they are unrelated and "a matter of coincidence."
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com