Trooper charged with stalking after taking woman's phone, sending himself nude photos
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minnesota State Patrol trooper was charged with felony stalking for taking a woman’s cell phone and using it to send himself nude photos of her, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
Albert Kuehne, 36, was charged with two counts of stalking with bias due to the fact the victim was a woman.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 25, Kuehne worked a single-car accident at Interstate 94 and Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis. The driver, a 25-year-old woman, was detained by Kuehne as a possible drunk driver. She was taken to a hospital where she was treated and released.
When the woman returned home, her boyfriend was using her laptop, which is linked to her cell phone. According to the complaint, the laptop records showed the woman’s phone was accessed and nude photos of her were texted from it to an unknown phone.
Her boyfriend called the phone number, and the person who answered eventually identified himself as Kuehne. The woman called a lawyer, who reported the incident. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension began an investigation.
According to the complaint, Kuehne’s squad video showed him leading the woman to his squad car. Along the way, the woman took out her phone, and Kuehne demanded that she give it to him. The cell phone records indicate the photos were sent from the woman’s phone at 4:44 p.m. The video showed Kuehne alone in his squad at that time while paramedics treated the woman.
Investigators obtained a search warrant and seized Kuehne's phone. They found three photos of the woman on his phone, according to the complaint.
According the the Minnesota State Patrol, Kuehne was placed on paid investigatory leave May 20, 2020.
Statement from Minnesota State Patrol:
The alleged conduct outlined in this complaint is reprehensible and inconsistent with the core values of the Minnesota State Patrol. We hold troopers to a high standard and will take appropriate action regarding this matter. In the meantime, he is on leave pending further investigation.