CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A former Chesterfield police officer who spied on people using the restroom is back in jail. This is the same ex-cop who made international news after a FOX 2 investigation.
Former Chesterfield police officer David Cerna was warned by a judge after his 2016 convictions that he could go to jail for a decade if he didn’t avoid trouble. Now Cerna is back in jail after refusing to register as a sex offender.
“We believe this is one of the tools the legislature gives us and helps us keep residents safe,” said St. Louis County Attorney Wesley Bell. “The public has a right to know.”
Cerna made international news in 2014 after he was caught using a hidden camera in a gas station toilet. Cerna posted the bathroom videos on a porn site.
The Chesterfield Police Department fired him and later discovered that he had also secretly recorded videos of a teenage boy’s genitals while Cerna detained and searched the boy. That’s why Cerna is a sex offender. Now prosecutors say he refuses to register as such.
“He received warnings from law enforcement about the deadline for him to check in,” Bell said. ” He did not do it. They didn’t have to do that, either. The law does not require law enforcement to call him back.
Cerna’s current charge is a felony that could earn him up to seven years in prison.
“It’s important that we do our part to make sure the public is aware of these things and even for all of you to stay on top of this story. Especially you, Chris, for staying on top of this story,” Bell said.
Cerna has repeatedly declined to comment on our previous reports. He is currently in the St. Louis County Justice Center, being held on $50,000 cash-only bond.
