Key facts
- Deputy Sheriff Ryan Gaffney is accused of secretly photographing naked prisoners.
- Gaffney allegedly shared these photos with civilian employees.
- Investigators found the alleged nude pictures on Gaffney's personal iPhone 15.
- He is charged with official oppression, unsworn falsification, possessing an instrument of crime, and obstructing administration of law.
- Gaffney was fired from his position.
A Pennsylvania deputy sheriff, Ryan Gaffney, faces multiple charges including official oppression and obstruction for allegedly taking and sharing photos of naked prisoners. The complaint, received on March 31, 2026, stemmed from allegations that Gaffney used his personal iPhone 15 to photograph a man's genitalia on January 30, 2026, while the man was being arrested and was naked from the waist down. This photo was reportedly shown to a female civilian employee. A witness also claimed Gaffney had previously photographed another detainee's buttocks in late 2024.
Investigators reviewed bodycam footage from other deputies present during the January incident. This footage showed Gaffney reaching for his phone while the detainee was dressing and later covering his own bodycam lens with his hand as he retrieved his phone. This behavior, along with witness statements, led investigators to obtain a warrant for Gaffney's phone. A forensic search allegedly uncovered the nude pictures, with metadata confirming they were taken on his device and at specific times that correlated with bodycam footage.
Gaffney had previously denied the allegations in a voluntary interview with the Sheriff, stating he only used his phone for texting his wife and that the photos in question were not on his device, offering screenshots from his photo library as evidence. However, investigators maintained their forensic search successfully recovered the images. Gaffney was terminated from the Sheriff's Office last month. District Attorney Joe Khan stated that such actions erode public trust and vowed to prosecute official misconduct.