Missouri Cops Accused of Pulling Over Girls and Looking Their Telephones for Nudes

In two separate authorized instances, former law enforcement officials in Missouri have been charged with pulling girls over after which looking out their cell telephones for nude footage.

On Tuesday, 39-year-old former Missouri State Freeway Patrol trooper David McKnight was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court docket, a press launch states. McKnight, who resigned from the pressure in August, is accused of taking cell telephones from 9 completely different girls and, upon discovering nude or sexually specific footage, taking footage of them together with his personal cellphone. McKnight allegedly advised the ladies that he wanted their telephones to verify that they had insurance coverage or to confirm their id. Ultimately, he deleted these footage from his cellphone, the press launch claims, citing the indictment. The offenses are alleged to have taken place between September 1, 2023 and Aug. 19, 2024.

The Related Press reports that McKnight was arrested by patrol investigators on Aug. 21 and resigned a number of days later. He’s now charged with one depend of destroying data in a federal investigation and 9 counts of deprivation of rights associated to an unreasonable search and seizure.

On Thursday, one other former police officer, 29-year-old Julian Alcala, who beforehand labored for the Missouri metropolis of Florissant, was accused of doing very a lot the identical factor. One other federal press release accuses Alcala of looking out the telephones of 20 completely different girls. Like McKnight, authorities declare Alcala would take footage of nude pictures he discovered on the ladies’s telephones.

The Seattle Occasions reports that Alcala had not been with the police division lengthy, joining in January 2023. The alleged offenses occurred between Feb. 6, 2024, and Could 18, 2024, the DOJ’s press launch states. Alcala faces comparable prices to McKnight.

In a press release posted to its Facebook page, the Florissant Police Division mentioned, of the allegations in opposition to Alcala: “We’re disgusted at this conduct, which is a whole betrayal of the values we uphold and by no means displays the professionalism and integrity of our devoted officers. We acknowledge the gravity of this breach of belief and its influence on our neighborhood.”

The assertion added: “Alcala was employed as a full-time Police Officer with the Metropolis of Florissant after a meticulous and thorough background investigation, which revealed no areas of concern. Throughout his eleven months of employment, he acquired no complaints or accusations of misconduct.”

Prosecutors are asking different individuals who assume they might have been impacted by comparable crimes to return ahead.

Gizmodo reached out to the Missouri State Freeway Patrol for remark.