Two Missouri police officers were indicted separately this week and accused of similar crimes — panhandling women and searching their phones to find nude photos.
The indictments of former Missouri State Highway Patrol officer David McKnight on Tuesday and former Florissant, Missouri officer Julian Alcala on Wednesday were unrelated, but the indictments contained similar allegations. Both men have been charged with federal charges accusing them of depriving multiple women of their rights and destroying evidence.
His indictment says McKnight, 39, victimized nine women between September 2023 and Aug. 19. Typically, according to the indictment, he would pull a woman over for a traffic violation and tell her he needed to see her phone to verify identity or confirm insurance coverage.
The indictment says McKnight searched the phone and used his phone to capture nude photos.
McKnight was arrested by patrol investigators on Aug. 21 and resigned five days later, Patrol Capt. Scott White said in an email.
White declined to discuss McKnight’s case but said patrol employees “are held to high standards and if it is determined that those standards have not been met, they are held accountable.”
McKnight pleaded innocent during his court appearance Thursday. Messages were left with his attorney Friday.
Alcala, 29, was accused of crimes involving 20 women between February 6 and May 18. Five of the alleged crimes took place on a single day.
The indictment says Alcala confiscated the women’s phones as part of verifying insurance coverage and vehicle registrations. Like McKnight, she was accused of searching the phone for nude photos, then using her phone to take the photos.
Alcala also found a video on a victim’s phone and texted the video to his phone, the indictment says.
Alcala does not have any attorney listed yet. No phone list of his could be found. He is also named in four lawsuits filed against him and the city of Florissant, a St. Louis suburb.
Alcala had been at the Florissant department since January 2023. He resigned in June amid the FBI investigation.
“We are disappointed by this behavior, which is a complete betrayal of the values we adhere to and in no way reflects the professionalism and integrity of our dedicated officers,” Florissant police said in a statement. “We recognize the seriousness of this breach of trust and its impact on our community.”
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