Ex-Police Officer in Missouri Admits Guilt to Phone Searches for Nude Photos

A former officer admitted to a misconduct spree involving unauthorized searches of women's cellphones during traffic stops last year.

Julian Alcala, who once served with the Florissant police force, confessed to 20 instances of infringing on women's rights by inspecting their mobile devices without permission. This admission came as part of a federal plea agreement, which resulted in dropping a serious felony obstruction charge.

The offense Alcala acknowledged carries a potential penalty of up to one year of incarceration and a fine amounting to $100,000. At present, Alcala, aged 30, has been released on bond with a sentencing date set for March 11, 2026.

Details from the plea bargain reveal that in February 2024, Alcala halted a woman's car, alleging the need to verify her insurance through her mobile. This guise enabled him to find and transfer a sexually explicit video stored on the woman's phone to his own device. He also captured an image of her nude photo using his phone.

In subsequent months, Alcala perpetuated similar invasions of privacy, targeting the phones of 19 other women under the pretense of insurance or registration checks. These activities took place between February 6, 2024, and May 18, 2024, according to the plea details.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Missouri's Eastern District, in a broadcast, highlighted that all searches executed by Alcala were devoid of any warrants or valid probable cause.

The investigative actions stemmed from the first victim scrutinizing her phone records. She discovered that a private video had been transmitted to an unrecognized contact number, which the FBI traced back to Alcala. A subsequent warrant execution unearthed more unauthorized images.

Scott Rosenblum, representing Alcala, had not provided a public comment in response to inquiries from media outlets as of the latest updates.