Two police officers from Missouri have been arrested in separate incidents for allegedly stopping women and inspecting their phones for explicit images.
Their arrests come after both officers reportedly engaged in similar acts affecting female drivers in the vicinity.
Those charged are former Missouri State Highway Patrol officer David McKnight, who was indicted on Tuesday, November 5, and former Florissant, Missouri officer Julian Alcala, indicted on Wednesday, November 6, in separate cases.
Both officers are facing federal charges, which allege violations of the women’s civil rights and tampering with evidence.
McKnight is accused of targeting nine women between September 2023 and August 19, 2024, by pulling them over under the pretense of a traffic violation.
He allegedly claimed that it was necessary to check their phones to confirm insurance coverage or identity.
Once he had access to their phones, it is alleged that he searched for nude images and photographed them with his own device.
The 39-year-old was taken into custody by patrol investigators on August 21 and resigned five days after, according to patrol Capt. Scott White, as reported by AP.
The outlet reported that White stated patrol personnel “are held to high standards and if it is determined that those standards were not met, they are held accountable.”
The former officer was “indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau with one count of destroying records in a federal investigation as well as nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law,” according to the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Missouri.
The specific violation was the “right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.”
McKnight pleaded not guilty.
Alcala is accused of victimizing 20 women between February 6 and May 18 of this year, with five women reporting that their incidences occurred on the same day.
Similar to McKnight, Alcala is accused of taking their phones under false pretenses and photographing any explicit images using his own phone.
The indictment also asserts that Alcala discovered a video on one victim’s phone and sent it to his mobile.
Further information reveals Alcala is named in four additional lawsuits against him and the city of Florissant.
He resigned from his position after the FBI became involved in one of his cases in June.
Florissant police stated: “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. We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community.”
U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming commented on McKnight: “These allegations are being taken very seriously, and we’d like to encourage anyone who believes they had a concerning interaction with McKnight to contact the FBI.”