Former Missouri officer confesses to searching women's phones for nude photos

A former police officer from Missouri has confessed to stopping 20 women and unlawfully accessing their phones to obtain nude photos and videos over a three-month period in 2024, federal prosecutors reported.

Julian Alcala, a former officer in Florissant, pleaded guilty on December 2 to 20 counts of violating civil rights under the color of law, according to federal court documents. In return for his plea, prosecutors dismissed a separate charge related to destroying records during a federal investigation.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri stated that Alcala, 30, admitted in St. Louis federal court to seizing the phones of 20 women during traffic stops and taking explicit images without consent. The incidents occurred while he was on duty, in uniform, and driving a marked police vehicle between February 6 and May 18, 2024.

Authorities said Alcala misrepresented the reasons for accessing the phones. For 19 women, he claimed he needed to check insurance coverage, and for one, he said he was verifying vehicle registration. Without a warrant or probable cause, he used his own phone to photograph images depicting victims or their loved ones in partial or full nudity, which were stored in various apps and folders.

A grand jury indicted Alcala in November 2024 for depriving the women of their rights against unreasonable search and seizure. He faces sentencing on March 11, 2026. Each count carries a potential penalty of one year in prison, a fine up to $100,000, or both.

Alcalas first known victim was stopped on February 6, 2024. He took her phone and discovered a sexual video, which he then sent to his personal phone. Additional nude images were photographed from her phone. The victim later identified the incident and reported it to the FBI, which linked the phone number to Alcala and discovered 19 more victims through warrants executed on his devices and iCloud storage.

The plea agreement detailed that the images were found in camera rolls, text messages, and app folders including Snapchat. Following his indictment, the Florissant Police Department noted that Alcala had resigned in June 2024 after learning of the FBI probe. He had served with the department for 11 months. The department condemned his actions as a severe breach of public trust.

Alcala is the second former Missouri law enforcement officer in recent months to face similar federal charges. David McKnight, a former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, was indicted in November 2024 for unlawfully searching phones of nine women between September 2023 and August 2024, also taking nude images with his personal phone.

Author: Harper Simmons