2 Missouri officers accused of stealing nudes from dozens of women's phones at traffic stops

Two former Missouri officers were charged in separate, unconnected cases in federal court this week over allegations that they illegally searched women's phones during traffic stops to obtain intimate, explicit images on the devices.

Julian Alcala, 29, who was employed as a police officer with the city of Florissant, is charged with 20 counts of deprivation of rights and a count of destroying records in a federal investigation, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Thursday.

Deprivation of rights specifically refers to being free from unreasonable search and seizure, established in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

According to the federal indictment, Alcala would take women's phones during traffic stops to confirm their insurance coverage or vehicle registration. But he searched their phones for nude images and took photos on his own personal phone, the indictment said.

In one case, authorities allege, Alcala texted himself a video and deleted evidence of the text.

He is accused of doing that to 20 women from Feb. 6 to May 18.

The Florissant Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that it was completely unaware of the allegations. Alcala had passed a "meticulous and thorough background investigation" during the hiring process, and the department had not received a complaint about him in the 11 months of his employment, it said.

"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," the department said. "We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community."

Alcala resigned in June after the FBI contacted the police department about an investigation into him, the police department statement said.

Civil lawsuits have also been filed against Alcala and the city, including one that echoes an allegation made by federal prosecutors. A lawsuit filed in the same district court last month alleges that Alcala sent himself a private video made by a couple having sex.

The Jane Doe was pulled over in February, and Alcala took her phone back to his vehicle when she presented the insurance information she stored on the device, the lawsuit claims. It says she noticed "there was a deleted text message" from the time of the stop.

Alcala sent himself the video and deleted the message "in an effort to hide his tracks," the suit said. He is also accused of obtaining a nude photo from her phone in the same stop.

Attorney Bevis Schock is representing six people in civil litigation against Alcala in the city. He told NBC affiliate KSDK of St, Louis that his clients are "real nice, normal people who do what police officers say."

"The way this started was the FBI called the victims," Schock said. "And each victim said, 'Well, I got pulled over, and he took my phone back.'"

Court records show a warrant was issued for Alcala on Wednesday. It is unclear whether he is in custody. He has not appeared in court and does not have an attorney listed.

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

The U.S. attorney’s office filed a similar but unconnected case Tuesday 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 destroying records. Federal prosecutors allege he illegally searched the phones of nine women from September 2023 to 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 pictures of nude images on the women's phones after they gave him the devices to show their insurance or identification information. Most of the women were pulled over for traffic stops, the office said.

McKnight joined the highway patrol in 2021, it said in a statement. A criminal investigation was launched in August, and the department's investigators arrested him on Aug. 21, the statement said.

"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 told 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 said McKnight's and Alcala's cases are not connected.

A public defender assigned to McKnight's case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Court records show that he was taken into federal custody Thursday and that a judge set a bond of $10,000. He pleaded not guilty.

Ashley Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI St. Louis Division, told people not to hesitate to report uncomfortable encounters with officers. The FBI investigated both cases, the U.S. attorney's office release said.

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