Ottawa police, commissioner sued over nude photos

A former DUI suspect identified only as “Jane Doe” has sued the city of Ottawa, several police officers and Commissioner James Less for allegedly keeping nude photos and videos of her.

The lawsuit was filed Feb. 1 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago. The named defendants are the city, Police Chief Brent Roalson, Commissioner James Less, current officers Kari Whalen and Scott Harden and former officer Stephanie Nelson.

According to the complaint, Doe was arrested and detained on April 24, 2022, by Whalen and Harden. While the alleged sequence of events was not spelled out in the complaint, Doe’s lawyers said cameras in the police station “captured video footage of (Doe) while she was partially and totally nude.”

“Upon information and belief, the individual defendants, individually and in their official capacities, and other agents, apparent agents, employees, and/or officials of defendant city of Ottawa captured and retained, with personal cellular devices, nude videos and photographs from the video recordings that were taken by defendant city of Ottawa cameras inside the police station,” the complaint reads.

The lawsuit further alleges the named defendants and unspecified others “texted, emailed, and otherwise published and disseminated these nude videos and photographs amongst each other and the general public.”

Doe and her lawyers claim multiple violations of her rights under the U.S. Constitution and further allege intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Court dates are pending. The case is assigned to Judge Robert W. Gettleman.

Christina M. Cantlin, attorney for the city of Ottawa, said the city is aware of the lawsuit but cannot comment on pending litigation. Nelson, no longer an Ottawa police officer, was contacted via social media, but there was no reply either from her or an attorney on her behalf.

Doe is represented by Chicago attorneys Sean P. Murray and Grant A. Bosnich.