A woman from Florissant claims her intimate photographs were stolen by a police officer during a traffic stop earlier this year, according to a recently filed lawsuit. The incident began in February when the woman, referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents, was pulled over by a Florissant police officer who cited a broken taillight. The officer asked her to unlock her phone to access her insurance card, then took her phone back to his patrol car for about 10 minutes.
Months later, FBI agents contacted Jane Doe and informed her that a nude photo of her, which she had only shared with her husband, had been found during an investigation. They revealed that the Florissant cop had accessed her phone during the February traffic stop, stole the images, and shared them with multiple people. Jane Doe and her husband are now suing the officer and the city of Florissant, alleging that there are likely more photos, other involved officers, and additional victims.
“She is eager to begin the discovery process to learn more about what happened to her that day in February,” said her lawyer, Rick Voytas. The woman discovered another potential victim through social media, who described a similar experience. She encourages other potential victims to come forward.
“They shouldn’t be embarrassed to come forward and speak about their experience,” Jane Doe said. Florissant Police Department spokesperson Steve Michael confirmed the lawsuit and stated that the officer in question is no longer employed by the city. “There is no indication that any other member of the Florissant Police Department was involved in the alleged misconduct,” he said.
Florissant officer faces serious allegations
“We are deeply concerned by these allegations and want to assure the community that we take any claim of officer misconduct very seriously.”
The FBI’s St. Louis division has declined to comment on the investigation.
The lawsuit, filed in St. Louis County last Friday, details the February traffic stop and its aftermath. It describes how Jane Doe’s phone was disconnected from her car’s Bluetooth system during the officer’s prolonged possession of it.
Jane Doe says the FBI found the stolen photos because the officer had shared them widely. The suit claims the officer used his own phone to photograph the images displayed on her phone. Jane Doe alleges that the city of Florissant had received complaints about the officer’s inappropriate behavior in the past but continued to employ him.
She now experiences acute anxiety and has incurred medical debt to address her emotional distress. “We certainly understand these defendants have a right to defend themselves,” Voytas said. “We’re going to be working aggressively to get Jane justice and find out the true extent of what’s going on.”
The couple is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of trust in the police.
They hope that their lawsuit will prompt other victims to come forward and lead to greater accountability for the misconduct.
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- STLtoday.”Woman says cop stole nude photos during Florissant traffic stop, more victims possible”.