Former Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Sentenced for Illegally Searching Women’s Phones

Cape Girardeau, Mo. (KFMO) - A former Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper will serve nearly two years in federal prison after unlawfully searching the cell phones of multiple women for explicit images. 

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, 40-year-old David McKnight was sentenced Tuesday, April 28, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to nine counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Court documents state McKnight conducted unlawful searches of nine women’s phones between September 12, 2023, and July 30, 2024. Authorities say he was on duty, in uniform, and operating a marked patrol vehicle during each of the incidents.

In most cases, McKnight took the victims’ phones back to his patrol vehicle, falsely claiming he needed to verify identification, insurance, or other information. Investigators say he then searched the devices without a warrant or probable cause, specifically looking for nude images of the victims or their acquaintances.

Officials say McKnight used his personal cell phone to photograph images he discovered on seven of the victims’ devices. In another case, he searched the phone of a woman he had arrested and photographed an image from her device.

The investigation began after two victims became suspicious and reported the incidents to authorities. A forensic analysis later confirmed McKnight had accessed private folders, including those containing sensitive images.

Although McKnight attempted to delete the images from his phone, investigators were able to recover them.