FLORISSANT, Mo. – A former Florissant police officer accused of stealing nude photos from women’s phones without them knowing during traffic stops was indicted on Wednesday in federal court.
The indictment accuses former officer Julian Alcala, 29, of unlawfully searching the cell phones of 20 women to find nude pictures between Feb. 6, 2024, and May 18, 2024, while he was serving with the Florissant Police Department.
Alcala is accused of pulling multiple women over, telling them he needed to take their phones to his squad car to view their insurance information, searching through the phones for nude photos and then taking pictures of those photos with his own phone.
The indictment also alleges that Alcala found a video on one victim’s phone and texted that video to his phone before attempting to delete evidence of the text.
The indictment follows a lawsuit filed last month that accuses Alcala of sharing the nude photos he allegedly obtained with others.
Alcala was indicted Wednesday on one count of destroying records in a federal investigation and 20 counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.
The Florissant Police Department shared this statement, in part, with FOX 2 after Alcala’s indictment:
“We want to assure our residents that we had no knowledge of any illegal activity or improper behavior by Alcala during his time with our department. Importantly, no other members of the Florissant Police Department were involved in this matter.
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. Rebuilding that trust is our top priority, and we are committed to transparency, accountability, and regaining the confidence of those we serve.
Every member of our department is held to the highest standards of integrity, and we remain steadfast in ensuring that our interactions with the community reflect respect, dignity, and professionalism.”
The Florissant Police Department also told FOX 2 that was hired as a full-time officer after a “meticulous and thorough background investigation” and was employed for 11 months before he resigned from the position. The department says his resignation came after the FBI St. Louis Division informed the department of an investigation involving Alcala.
Alcala is the second former Missouri law enforcement officer to be indicted on similar charges this week.
On Tuesday, a federal grand jury also indicted a former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper David McKnight, 39, for allegedly searching women’s cell phones during traffic stops to find naked pictures.
The FBI encourages anyone with concerns about law enforcement interactions to report them to federal investigators at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or online via tips.fbi.gov.
“If you feel uncomfortable about your encounter with law enforcement, please don’t hesitate to go to that department after the fact to report what happened,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “If you feel your civil rights have been violated, contact the FBI. Investigating criminal conduct by a law enforcement officer is among our top priorities.”