A Missouri cop was accused of searching women’s phones for compromising pictures. The 30-year-old officer would often stop women drivers and then snoop into their phones for their intimate personal images. Over 20 women fell victim to the man’s disgusting plan before he was caught.
Julian Alcala has pleaded guilty to 20 counts of willfully depriving someone of their right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The next sentencing is scheduled for March 11.
The plea deal detailed how the accused stopped a woman in February 2024, and the victim became the first in his long list of victims. He asked for her phone and carried it to his police car under the pretense of checking her insurance information.
After getting his hands on the phone, he scoured it and found what he was looking for. The former officer stumbled upon a video of the woman engaging in sexual activity. He sent the video to his own phone, then found an intimate picture of the woman, which he also sent to his phone.
Former Missouri police officer pleads guilty for searching for sexual photos in phones of women he stopped https://t.co/I4G65jFuNz pic.twitter.com/nhnfBx99zF
— New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2025
Alcala’s crimes came to light when the woman reviewed her deleted messages and found out what he had done. She immediately called the FBI and shared how the video of her had been shared with an unknown number.
The FBI was able to trace the number to the officer. The plea deal agreement states that the agency then issued a search warrant and found more compromising pictures of several women in the former officer’s phone.
The FBI found out how he had used the same tactic to get his hands on these pictures. He would often stop victims and ask them for their insurance registration details.
He would then borrow their phones and take them to his car while shamefully misusing his authority and the trust that citizens put in him.
Umm. With no search warrant??
— twiterate (@twitfinder_) December 4, 2025
Out of the 20 counts he has pleaded guilty to, each carries a penalty of up to a year in prison. They also come with a penalty fee of $100,000. A third possibility is that Alcala could be sentenced to serve as many years in prison as the judge’s verdict decides, and be asked to pay the penalty fee for his crimes as well. The 30-year-old remains free on bond until his next hearing, which is scheduled on March 11.
The incident has caused public outrage, with netizens calling for a harsh punishment for the officer. “Lock that bas—- up forever,” one noted on X. “Umm. With no search warrant??” another questioned.
