A former Missouri police officer has admitted to illegally searching the phones of 20 women during traffic stops, according to a December 2 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. The misconduct occurred during the first half of 2024 and came to light after one victim discovered a sexually explicit video had been forwarded from her device.
Prosecutors said that Julian Alcala, 30, searched the women’s phones “without a warrant or probable cause.” Investigators found nude images of 19 victims in his phone and cloud storage, after the initial discovery.
Alcala pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 20 such misdemeanor counts. Each charge carries a penalty of up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both.
According to CBS News, prosecutors dropped a felony obstruction charge as part of the plea agreement. Alcala is free on bond.
Who is Julian Alcala?
Alcala, 30, is a former officer with the Florissant Police Department, located in suburban St. Louis. During the period of misconduct, February 6 to May 18, 2024, prosecutors say Alcala was on duty, in uniform, and operating a marked patrol vehicle when he carried out a pattern of illegal searches targeting women during routine traffic stops.
According to court documents, Alcala pulled the women over and took their phones back to his patrol car under the guise of checking insurance information or, in one case, vehicle registration. Once inside the cruiser, he searched through the phones without authorization, accessing various folders and apps to locate nude or partially nude images.
{{/usCountry}}According to court documents, Alcala pulled the women over and took their phones back to his patrol car under the guise of checking insurance information or, in one case, vehicle registration. Once inside the cruiser, he searched through the phones without authorization, accessing various folders and apps to locate nude or partially nude images.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office said he “used his own cell phone to take photographs of one or more images that portrayed either the victim or a loved one or both in a partial or full state of nudity.”
In the first known incident, Alcala found a sexually explicit video on a woman’s phone and texted it to himself. He also located a nude photo and used his own phone to take a picture of the image, before that victim discovered the forwarded video in her deleted messages. She realized it had been sent to an unknown number, and contacted the FBI. The number traced back to Alcala.
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After the FBI launched an investigation, agents obtained a court-approved search warrant for Alcala’s phone and cloud storage. The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting it. Alcala admitted in court to willfully depriving the women of their right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.
Alcala's sentencing is set for March 11, 2026.