CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – A federal grand jury indicted a former trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for allegedly searching women’s cell phones during traffic stops to find naked pictures.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said David McKnight, 39, took the phones of nine different women between Sept. 1, 2023, and Aug. 19, 2024, then used his personal phone to photograph any nude pictures he found.
The indictment alleges McKnight stopped most of the women for traffic violations and took their phones under the auspices of checking their insurance or verifying their identity. He later deleted those images from his cell phone.
McKnight was charged with one count of destroying records in a federal investigation and nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.
“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,” U.S.
Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim is asked to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.