Prosecutors Find Sensitive Intimate Photos on Former Massachusetts Trooper's Phone

A forensic extraction of former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor’s personal cellphone uncovered “highly sensitive” materials — prosecutors say the files include images of intimate body parts of people not in the chats, screenshots of social-media posts, photos, full phone numbers and email addresses, and the name of a sexual-assault victim. The review, which prosecutors say spans many years (dating back as far as 2013), has produced text chats, audio and video files, emails and photos that may be relevant to other cases Proctor investigated. Prosecutors sought and a judge granted a protective order restricting dissemination so defense attorneys may review the extraction but cannot share the materials publicly or provide copies to their clients. Proctor, who was the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, was fired in March after a trial board found he violated department policies, including sending vulgar, misogynistic texts about Read and other misconduct. He had been appealing his termination but abruptly dropped that appeal this month after prosecutors disclosed newly available material from the phone. Defense lawyers in several pending cases have sought access to Proctor’s devices to probe possible bias or discoverable evidence, prompting the court’s limited-turnover procedure.