Overview
- Prosecutors said Monday that former deputy Ryan Gaffney was charged with official oppression, unsworn falsification to authorities, possession of an instrument of crime and obstruction after detectives recovered naked photos from his personal phone.
- The affidavit alleges Gaffney used his phone to photograph a mentally ill man on January 30 during a warrant service in Middletown Township and covered his body camera while taking the picture.
- County detectives also say a December 2024 photo of another person in custody was taken by Gaffney and circulated within the sheriff’s office warrant division.
- Investigators say Gaffney denied the photos, provided screenshots showing no images, and signed a sworn statement, but a forensic download of his phone recovered the files; he was fired in June and charged by summons but has not yet been arraigned.
- The case centers on alleged abuse of authority, privacy violations and internal sharing of images with civilian staff and it is likely to trigger policy and training reviews over personal-device use, body-worn camera practices and oversight of vulnerable people in custody.