FLORISSANT, Mo. — A former Florissant police officer is facing a third lawsuit accusing him of stealing nude photos from another woman's phone during traffic stops.
The victim in this lawsuit, who is in her early 20s, is now the fourth woman to come forward to 5 On Your Side.
The lawsuit alleges that he took the woman's phone back to his police car during a traffic stop, found nude photographs of the woman on the phone, and used his own phone to take photos of the screen. The allegations mirror those described in multiple lawsuits filed earlier this year.
The newest lawsuit
The most recent lawsuit said the officer pulled the woman over twice this year for broken tail lights. During the stop, she told the officer her insurance information was on her phone. The lawsuit said the officer then took her unlocked phone back to his police vehicle, where he searched the phone for nude photographs.
The lawsuit, filed by attorneys Bevis Schock and Daniel Goldberg, said the officer looked at the photos himself and also shared them with other people.
"It was a law enforcement officer taking people's private information. It's a tragedy that an officer would take advantage of that," said Schock.
"She's traumatized. Every time she drives down the road and sees a police car behind her, she panics. This really has affected her, and it's just deplorable conduct," Goldberg said.
The lawsuit said the woman did not know she was victimized until the FBI contacted her several months later. In each of the previous lawsuits, the victims also said they were unaware of the incidents until they were contacted by the FBI.
Additional victims
In the lawsuit, Schock and Goldberg said they believe there are "at least seven other victims" in addition to the plaintiff in the newest lawsuit.
"The sad part of this story is the number of victims," said Schock.
They said there are at least twelve victims who have hired attorneys.
"It's amazing that there are twelve that this person did without anybody knowing about it. There could be a lot of others that haven't come forward because they are too embarrassed," Goldberg said.
The two other suits, including one woman and a teenager, contain almost identical allegations. Heidi Suguitan, the director of clinical programs and education for Safe Connections, feels that the first victim who came forward empowered others to do the same.
"It can feel so solitary and alone and isolating to experience things like this. So for victims to speak the truth and tell what happened and then finally see some justice happen, that can be transformative for their life," said Suguitan.
Officer surrendered job license
The Missouri Department of Public Safety said the former officer has permanently surrendered his Class A peace officer license.
"It's like creeping in someone's bedroom and taking nude photos of them while they're sleeping without their consent and then distributing them online. It completely destroys someone's privacy and sense of control over their own body and their environment. It's absolutely a crime, and I'm glad these people are coming forward," Suguitan said.
The City of Florissant is actively trying to dismiss the first two lawsuits.
The City of Florissant is also named as a defendant in the suit. It alleges the activity "directly resulted from either Defendant City of Florissant’s failure to supervise, failure to train, or an unofficial custom, or widespread pattern of misconduct."
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, is the first to identify the officer. 5 On Your Side is not identifying him because he has not been criminally charged.
Both lawyers feel criminal charges will be filed against the officer.
Schock said, "I know the FBI agent. I've talked to the FBI agent. I mean, I think it's a sure thing." Goldberg agreed and said, "They have his phone records. I'm assuming that's how he got caught. And then we'll be able to determine who he sent these photographs to."
Ethical Society of Police statement
The Ethical Society of Police provided the following statement in response to the lawsuit. 5 On Your Side has removed the officer's name from the statement:
"The actions of Officer [Redacted], as described in this lawsuit, are deeply disturbing and represent a gross violation of trust and human dignity. We unequivocally condemn his reprehensible behavior, which not only exploited and humiliated the victims but also tarnished the integrity of those sworn to protect and serve. Our hearts go out to the courageous individuals who have come forward to seek justice. Their strength and resilience in the face of such degradation must not go unnoticed.
"We sincerely hope that the Florissant Police Department has since implemented rigorous policies and procedures to strengthen accountability and ensure that such a grievous breach of duty is never repeated. It is crucial that law enforcement agencies maintain robust checks and balances to prevent future misconduct, protect the community and foster an environment of trust, fairness, and justice for all."
5 On Your Side reached out to the Florissant Police Department and the attorney representing the city on Thursday afternoon, who did not have a comment.