CAPE GIRARDEAU– A former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper was indicted on Tuesday for illegally scanning women’s cell phones during traffic stops for nude photos.
A grand jury in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau indicted David McKnight, 39, on one count of destroying data in a federal investigation and nine charges of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from arbitrary searches and seizures.
According to the indictment, between September 1, 2023 and August 19, 2024, McKnight stole cell phones from nine different women.
According to the indictment, McKnight checked the phones and used his personal cell phone to take any nude pictures he found. According to the report, he later deleted the photographs from his cellphone.
According to the indictment, McKnight stopped most of the ladies for traffic violations. According to the report, he confiscated their phones to validate their insurance coverage or authenticate their identify.
“These allegations are being taken very seriously, and we’d like to encourage anyone who believes they had a concerning interaction with McKnight to contact the FBI,” U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said.
An indictment contains only accusations and does not prove guilt. Every defendant is deemed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information is requested to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the incident. Christine Krug, an assistant US attorney, is prosecuting the case.