PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Bucks County Sheriff’s Deputy who was fired last month, accused of taking photos of naked men while they were being arrested, is now facing criminal charges including official oppression.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said that on Jan. 30, Ryan Gaffney, 46, was with other sheriff’s deputies serving an arrest warrant for a man. As the man was sitting on a bench at the end of his bed trying to put his pants on, Deputy Sheriff Gaffney removed his right glove, pulled out his personal cellphone, opened his camera app and pointed the lens at the man, who was naked from the waist down.
“Taking a picture of him with his genitals exposed,” Khan said.
Khan said Gaffney covered his own body camera while he took the photo, but his actions were captured by other deputies’ cameras in the room.
Khan said Gaffney showed the photo to several female coworkers in the Sheriff’s department, apparently as a joke, and the investigation found he had taken a similar photo of a naked man in custody in 2024.
Khan said the sheriff’s department notified the District Attorney’s Office when it learned of Gaffney’s actions, and fired him last month.
“Mr. Gaffney's conduct is a disgrace. It is a betrayal of the trust that was placed in him by the sheriff and by the taxpayers. The people of Bucks County must be able to trust that those who are sworn to protect them will respect their basic rights and dignity at all times, especially when they are at their most vulnerable,” Khan said.
Gaffney has been charged with official oppression, obstruction, and unsworn falsification.
Gaffney’s lawyer said he will address the charges in court, not in “one-sided social media posts or press conferences.”
His lawyer noted that Gaffney is a veteran and father who has spent his life in public service and deserves due process.
