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Former Florissant, Missouri police officer pleaded guilty to illegally searching women's phones, photographing nude images during traffic stops

Former Florissant, Missouri police officer Julian Alcala pleaded guilty on December 2, 2025, to 20 federal counts of deprivation of rights under color of law for using traffic stops between February and May 2024 to search women's phones without cause and photograph nude images he found, victimizing at least 20 women. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison in March 2026, and the city of Florissant agreed in July 2026 to settle a related civil suit brought by 24 plaintiffs for $4 million while denying liability.

Jurisdiction
Missouri
Location
Florissant, Missouri

Abuses documented

Actors

  • Julian Alcala (former Florissant Police Department officer)

On December 2, 2025, former Florissant, Missouri police officer Julian Alcala pleaded guilty in federal court to 20 counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, admitting he had used traffic stops to illegally search women's phones and photograph nude images he found on them. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a separate felony obstruction charge.

The underlying conduct spanned February 6 to May 18, 2024. While on duty, in uniform, and driving a marked patrol car, Alcala pulled over at least 20 women and told most of them he needed their phones to confirm insurance or vehicle registration. He took the phones back to his patrol car, searched them without a warrant or probable cause, and used his own phone to photograph any nude or intimate images he found; in one instance he forwarded a video of a victim to himself. An FBI investigation, opened after that victim discovered the forwarded video and reported it, uncovered images of the remaining victims and led to the federal charges.

Updates

2026-03-11 — Alcala sentenced to 24 months in prison, ordered restitution [2]

A federal judge sentenced Alcala to 24 months in prison and ordered him to pay $2,681 in restitution to his victims.

2026-07-31 — City of Florissant agreed to $4 million settlement with 24 plaintiffs [3]

The city of Florissant agreed to settle a civil suit brought by 24 women whose phones were searched by Alcala for $4 million, according to a release from the victims' attorneys. The city denied liability, saying it settled "to buy their peace"; plaintiff identities remain sealed under court order.

Why we recorded this

Law enforcement officers are entrusted with legal authority to enforce the law, not exploit it for personal ends. A Florissant, Missouri officer used the pretext of routine traffic stops to conduct warrantless searches of women's phones and photograph private images he found, then admitted the full scope of that conduct in federal court by pleading guilty to 20 counts of violating his victims' civil rights. The guilty plea turned what could otherwise be reported as allegation into an adjudicated admission — a documented instance of an officer using his badge to violate the very rights he was sworn to enforce. This archive records when those charged with enforcing the law instead exempt themselves from it.

Sources

  1. Former Florissant Police Officer Admits Searching Women's Phones for Nude Images — U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Missouri primary accessed August 2, 2026
  2. Former Florissant Police Officer Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Searching Women's Phones for Nude Images — U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Missouri primary accessed August 2, 2026
  3. Victims of former officer accused of searching for nude photos on women's phones agree to $4 million settlement — First Alert 4 (KMOV) primary accessed August 2, 2026
  4. $4 Million Settlement in Suit Against Officer Who Took Nude Images From Women's Phones — The New York Times secondary accessed August 2, 2026

See also