Two former Missouri police officers face federal charges for allegedly abusing their authority to access and steal nude photos from women’s phones during traffic stops.
David McKnight, 39, a former Missouri State Highway Patrol officer, and Julian Alcala, 29, a former Florissant police officer, were indicted separately this week on charges of depriving the rights of women and destroying evidence.
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Both men are accused of employing similar tactics. They allegedly conducted traffic stops, then falsely claimed they needed to examine the women’s phones to verify their identity or insurance information. Instead, they allegedly searched the phones for nude photos and used their own phones to take pictures of the images.
McKnight’s indictment alleges he victimized nine women between September 2023 and August 2024. He resigned from the Highway Patrol after an internal investigation.
Alcala’s indictment accuses him of similar crimes against 20 women between February and May 2024. He resigned from the Florissant Police Department in June amid an FBI investigation.
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“We are disgusted at this behavior, which is a complete betrayal of the values we uphold and in no way reflects the professionalism and integrity of our dedicated officers,” Florissant police said in a statement. “We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community.”
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