Trooper sentenced for searching women’s phones for nude images during traffic stops

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS/Gray News) – A former highway patrol trooper in Missouri has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for searching women’s phones for nude images.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, a judge handed down the sentence to 40-year-old David McKnight this week.

Authorities said McKnight was facing charges for unlawfully searching the cell phones of nine women without a warrant or probable cause from September 2023 to July 2024 to find nude images of them or their loved ones.

McKnight was said to be on duty, in uniform and in a marked Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicle.

The 40-year-old pleaded guilty last December to nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

Investigators noted he used his own cell phone to take photographs of the images he found in the phones of seven victims. In all but one of the cases, McKnight took the victims’ phones back to his vehicle, falsely claiming that he needed to confirm their identification, insurance coverage or other information.

After two of the women became suspicious, they reported him to the Missouri highway patrol.

Forensic analysis revealed McKnight had searched through their phones, including folders containing nude photos of them. McKnight later deleted the photos in question, but investigators said they were able to recover them from his phone.

Several agencies investigated the case, including the FBI.

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