NYPD Officer Accused Of Stealing Naked Photos Off Woman's iPhone

Since 9/11, there has been an intense debate in this country over where to draw the line between privacy and security. But according to a 27-year-old woman, New York police officer Sean Christian, who works for the the 104th Precinct of the New York Police Department in Ridgewood, Queens, clearly stepped over the line into invasion of privacy. Pamela Held, right, alleges that the 41-year-old officer took her iPhone after he arrested her, then "stole" her private nude photos and videos that she'd made for her boyfriend, according to New York's Daily News.

"It makes me sick," Held told the Daily News, adding she plans to sue the NYPD for invasion of privacy. Its Internal Affairs department reportedly confirmed that it was investigating her complaint.

Held's problems with the NYPD began on Feb. 6 when five officers in a police van pulled over her car because it didn't have an inspection sticker, according to the newspaper. Prescription drugs and marijuana were found in the car, so Held and the friend she was riding with, who was unnamed in reports, were taken into the precinct for questioning. Interrogated by police as to her whereabouts that evening, Held says that she told them that she was visiting a friend and could prove it -- then handed her phone over to officers.

Held says that she realized something was wrong when she noticed later that 20 of her personal photos as well as five videos were sent to an unknown phone number. After consulting with an attorney, his private investigator was assigned to find the owner of the mystery phone number, which led to Christian.