SerpApi.Org
A Pennsylvania cop is accused of secretly taking photos of naked prisoners to mock and “humiliate” them.
NBC 10 reports Ryan Gaffney, 46, of Feasterville Trevose, Pa., has been charged with two counts of official oppression – arrest search, unsworn falsification to authorities, obstructing the administration of law or other government function, and possession of an instrument of crime.
Gaffney was a Bucks County sheriff’s deputy when he allegedly used his phone to take pictures of a man during a mental health crisis in January, according to a criminal complaint. Gaffney and four other deputies were executing an arrest warrant at a Middletown Township home where the man was naked from the waist down. Investigators said Gaffney told the suspect to put pants on, then covered up his body-worn camera and used his personal cellphone to take a picture of the man’s genitals.
According to Fox 29, he was placed on leave after a complaint was filed March 31. Another deputy in the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office said they witnessed Gaffney sharing the nude image with his female coworkers, investigators said.
Gaffney also took a photo of another naked prisoner in December 2024 and shared that image with others, the complaint said. Investigators determined Gaffney had shared photos of the naked men with at least 12 people, according to NBC.
Gaffney, who was fired from his job in June, was charged Monday. During a press conference, Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said Gaffney abused his authority to “humiliate and ridicule prisoners in his custody.”
“Mr. Gaffney’s conduct is a disgrace. It is a betrayal of the trust that was placed in him by the sheriff and by the taxpayers,” D.A. Khan said. ”The people of Bucks County must be able to trust that those who are sworn to protect them will respect their basic rights and dignity at all times, especially when they’re at their most vulnerable. When a deputy sheriff breaks the law and then attempts to cover it up by lying, he erodes the public trust that thousands of honest public servants work every day to preserve.”
Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler added: “Former Deputy Gaffney’s conduct was beyond unacceptable and not in any way representative of the highly professional deputies who serve this county with integrity every day. I commend the Bucks County Detectives for their excellent investigative work in this matter.”
Gaffney, a U.S. Air Force veteran who also worked as a part-time police officer with Hulmeville Boro, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 10.
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
