A former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for unlawfully searching women’s cell phones for nude images.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, David McKnight, 40, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty in December to nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Related posts
According to authorities, McKnight searched nine women’s phones between September 2023 and July 2024 without a warrant or probable cause.
Investigators stated that McKnight was on duty, in uniform, and driving a marked police vehicle during the occurrences. In most cases, he returned the victims’ phones to his patrol car under the guise of verifying identification or insurance information.
Officials claim McKnight used his own phone to snap photos found on many victims’ devices.
The investigation began when two ladies reported suspicious activities. A forensic investigation then revealed that McKnight had accessed private photo folders. Despite his efforts to remove the photographs, they were found during the investigation.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the case, which was then prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office.
