A former Bucks County deputy sheriff is accused of using his personal cellphone to photograph naked men in police custody then sharing the photos with others in the office.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan alleges that in 2024 and 2026 Ryan Gaffney, 46, of Feasterville, used his authority to “abuse and ridicule” defendants in his custody.
“His conduct is a disgrace,” Khan said at a July 20 press conference in Doylestown. “The evidence we have is that he thought it was funny. This is not funny. This is not a joke.”
Khan said that Gaffney has denied the five misdemeanor charges against him including official oppression, unsworn falsification to authorities and obstruction of the law.
His attorney Paul Lang declined to comment on the charges against his client.
“Unlike the District Attorney’s Office, I will address this case in court, not through one-sided social media posts or press conferences,” Lang said in a text message. “Ryan Gaffney deserves due process, not trial by publicity. These are allegations, not facts, and we look forward to answering them where they belong, in a courtroom.”
The alleged incidents, which the DA said were captured on body cameras, did not come to light until earlier this year, when Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler made a referral to the DA’s office, which opened an investigation, Khan said.
Bucks County Detectives allege that Gaffney took photos showing the genitals of two men and passed the photos around “for kicks,” Khan said. Both men were in the custody of the sheriff's office, one in a man's home and the other at a government building.
The detectives began investigating allegations that earlier this year, while executing a search warrant in Middletown, Gaffney took a photo of a defendant who was in a “mental health crisis” and naked from the waist down as he was putting on his pants at the man's Middletown home, Khan said.
Gaffney used his personal cellphone to take the image while also covering up his own body-worn camera in an attempt to conceal his actions, Khan said.
“He knew his conduct was wrong,” Khan said.
But the body-worn cameras of four other deputies who accompanied Gaffney did record his actions, Khan said.
Investigators later interviewed one of the deputies present who said others were not aware at the time of the incident that Gaffney had taken photos of the defendant, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The same deputy told investigators that he later witnessed Gaffney share a still image of the man's genitals to female employees in the office, describing the interaction as "brief and in jest," the affidavit said. Khan alleged Gaffney also shared the images with other on-duty deputies and personal contacts in his cell phone.
Three weeks later, the deputy who spoke with investigators said he reported the incident to their supervisor.
While investigating the January 2026 incident, detectives learned about another incident the day after Christmas in 2024.
In that incident, Gaffney allegedly used his cellphone to take pictures of a handcuffed naked buttocks of a defendant in custody at the sheriff's office at the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown, then sent the pictures to 12 personal contacts, Khan alleges. He shared the photo in text messages with other deputies in the warrant unit, the affidavit said.
A court-ordered search of Gaffney’s phone allegedly recovered the 2026 and 2024 photos on the device.
Investigators also reviewed other deputies body worn camera footage that showed Gaffney covering his body worn camera and taking out his personal cell phone twice and manipulating it as it was aimed at the defendant, the affidavit said.
“There is overwhelming evidence this crime occurred,” Khan said.
At the press conference Khan said it was unclear if the people Gaffney allegedly showed the photos to were aware of how they were obtained. But he said no other deputies or employees are facing charges.
Gaffney was charged by summons Monday.
Gaffney worked in the sheriff’s department for three years until he was terminated in June; he earned $75,192 this year, according to the sheriff’s office.
He also worked as a part-time police officer for Hulmeville since 2022 according to a 2023 Hulmeville newsletter, where he said his favorite quote is "Always tell the truth and take responsibility for your actions." He also worked as a part-time officer for Penndel Police.
Hulmeville Police Chief John Baran, who is also deputy sheriff, did not immediately respond Monday to an email asking for Gaffney’s current employment status.
Penndel Police Chief Sean Perry said Gaffney hasn't been with the department since 2023.
When Gaffney was interviewed by Ceisler about the two incidents in April he allegedly denied using his cellphone to take photos of naked prisoners, and signed a statement attesting to his truthfulness. Gaffney also provided alleged screenshots of his photo library, which authorities allege were meant to mislead investigators about the existence of the Jan. 30 photo.
Gaffney is also a US Air Force Veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and graduated from American Military University with a bachelor's degree, according to a 2023 Sheriff's Office press release.
On Monday, Sheriff Ceisler praised the county detectives for their investigation work in the case.
“Former Deputy Gaffney's conduct was beyond unacceptable and not in any way representative of the highly professional deputies who serve this county with integrity every day,” Ceisler said in a statement Monday.
This article was originally published by the Bucks County Courier Times / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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