Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens Indicted On Invasion Of Privacy Charge

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on charges of felony invasion of privacy.

Greitens, a Republican, was embroiled in a scandal last month after a local news report alleged he had an affair with a woman and then took compromising photographs of her to use as blackmail. The details of the report were provided to a St. Louis CBS affiliate by the woman’s ex-husband, who told the station that there was “no worse person” than Greitens.

The governor later admitted he had an affair in 2015 before he was elected to office, but he denied there was any blackmail and he didn’t identify the woman.

A call to the governor’s office Thursday was not immediately returned.

Thursday’s indictment involved a March 21, 2015, incident that was not specified. Missouri law states that invasion of privacy laws include the taking of photos of a person without their consent while they’re in a state of full or partial nudity. Individuals can be charged with a misdemeanor if such images aren’t disseminated, but the charge is classified as a felony if the photos are distributed by any means.

Greiten’s indictment lists his charge as a Class D felony, which is punishable by up to four years in prison. It has a three-year statute of limitations.

“The defendant knowingly photographed [the victim] in a state of full or partial nudity without the knowledge and consent of [the victim] and in a place where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy,” the charge reads. “The defendant subsequently transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer.”

Source: huffingtonpost