The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating claims that “intimate” photos of department employees were shared online, possibly by a former LAPD officer.
The department confirmed Friday that an internal investigation into the allegations has been launched and that it is cooperating with an external criminal investigation into the matter.
“The Los Angeles Police Department does not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind and will take every step to protect our employees and hold responsible individuals accountable,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michelle Moore said in a statement. Ta. “If the investigation reveals that any Department employee engaged in this serious misconduct, that employee will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination and criminal prosecution.”
The news was first reported by the NBC4 I-Team. The ministry did not provide further details about the allegations.
The case comes on the heels of three other LAPD nude photo scandals that have come to light in recent years.
Police officer Brady Lamas was charged in December with six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly sending naked photos of his wife, also a police officer, to an LAPD colleague along with another man, according to a criminal complaint. The charges were filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Lamas had been working from home since January 2023, when the investigation began.
“My own husband was a predator and preyed on me,” the wife wrote in court papers. “I wish he had punched me in the face.”
In September, Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Lillian Carranza was ordered to pay $4 million in damages over nude photos shared within the department that were doctored to appear as if they were taken by her.
2020, Los Angeles Police Department Bureau of Investigation. Isabel Villegas settled with the city for $1.5 million over her claims that another police officer assaulted her and threatened to release explicit images of her if he ended their relationship.