A former police officer in Florissant has admitted that he stole intimate photos and videos from the phones of women he had pulled over for traffic stops.
Julian Alcala, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to 20 felony counts. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors have agreed to drop a destruction of evidence charge.
Alcala will be sentenced March 11. Federal sentencing guidelines call for him to spend 12 months in prison for each count. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors have agreed to ask U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey for a sentence of no more than three years, although Autrey is not bound by that request.
According to the U.S. attorney's office, over the course of three months in 2024, Alcala pulled over the victims for minor traffic violations. He then took their phones, ostensibly to check for electronic proof of insurance or vehicle registration, but searched through photo albums and sent intimate photos and videos to his own phone.
The FBI began investigating after one of the women realized a video she had taken had been transferred via the cloud.
Alcala did not speak in court other than to answer Autrey’s questions. His attorney Scott Rosenblum said in a statement afterward that it was a difficult day for his client.
“But he has accepted responsibility and is looking forward to re-establishing what was once a productive life, he said.
Nearly two dozen people, either victims or loved ones in the photos that were stolen, have filed federal civil rights lawsuits against Alcala and the city of Florissant. Some of them were in court Tuesday to witness the plea hearing, but did not comment.
Alcala resigned from the Florissant Police Department in June 2024 after the investigation began. When he was formally charged in November 2024, the department said in a Facebook post that it did not know about his behavior until the investigation, and cooperated fully with the FBI.
“We are disgusted at this behavior, which is a complete betrayal of the values we uphold and in no way reflects the professionalism and integrity of our dedicated officers. We recognize the gravity of this breach of trust and its impact on our community,” the department wrote.
The civil suits have been paused while the criminal case is ongoing. An attorney for some of the victims said Alcala’s guilty plea will be used as evidence in the civil litigation.
