Chapter 565 Offenses Against the PersonMissouri Gov. Eric Greitens is now the state’s chief executive and its most famous accused felon. On Thursday, the Republican governor was indicted for felony invasion of privacy in a truly bizarre affair from 2015. Greitens, 43, is accused of involuntarily restraining a woman in an affair and taking pictures of her naked as leverage over her. The indictment occurs when nude pictures are also being raised in Nashville as possible evidence against the Mayor Megan Barry, who is also embroiled in a scandal over an affair.
Greitens allegedly took a photo of the woman “in a state of full or partial nudity” without their knowledge or consent. He then allegedly “transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer” — a criteria for the felony charge.
Greitens has admitted the affair but denied the specific allegations of abusive treatment of his lover. KMOV-TV reported that Greitens allegedly threatened to publicize nude images of the woman if she disclosed their affair.
The sexual relationship began as a consensual affair but the woman claimed that she was lured to the basement so Greitens could show her “how to do a proper pull-up.” She says that she was then blindfolded and her hands taped as he took revealing photos of her.
Greitens was elected in 2016 and is a decorated former Navy SEAL officer with both a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Section 565.252 Beginning January 1, 2017--Invasion of privacy, penalty.
Not the swiftest maneuver for a sitting governor.565.252. 1. A person commits the offense of invasion of privacy if he or she knowingly:
(1) Photographs, films, videotapes, produces, or otherwise creates an image of another person, without the person's consent, while the person is in a state of full or partial nudity and is in a place where one would have a reasonable expectation of privacy; or
(2) Photographs, films, videotapes, produces, or otherwise creates an image of another person under or through the clothing worn by that other person for the purpose of viewing the body of or the undergarments worn by that other person without that person's consent.
2. Invasion of privacy is a class A misdemeanor unless:
(1) A person who creates an image in violation of this section distributes the image to another or transmits the image in a manner that allows access to that image via computer;
(2) A person disseminates or permits the dissemination by any means, to another person, of a videotape, photograph, or film obtained in violation of this section;
(3) More than one person is viewed, photographed, filmed or videotaped during the same course of conduct; or
(4) The offense was committed by a person who has previously been found guilty of invasion of privacy
in which case invasion of privacy is a class E felony.
3. Prior findings of guilt shall be pleaded and proven in the same manner required by the provisions of section 558.021.
4. As used in this section, "same course of conduct" means more than one person has been viewed, photographed, filmed, or videotaped under the same or similar circumstances pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, whether at the same or different times.
