Female deputy sues for $50m after topless photos of her used in pedophile internet sting 'were passed around the station'



A female police officer is suing for $50m in compensation after claiming topless photos taken of her for a pedophile sting operation were viewed by others after being loaded on a detective's laptop computer.

Deputy Krystal Rice, from Watertown, New York, agreed to pose for the photos to help out in an undercover investigation into online predators but only did so on the promise they would be returned.



She posed as a 15-year-old schoolgirl for the risqué photos - which showed her topless with her hands across her breasts - which were sent to men targeted as part of a police sting operation on pedophiles.



Suing: Deputy Krystal Rice has filed a $50 million lawsuit for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress Workplace: Krystal Rice said the pictures remained on the sheriff's computer and were passed around the station, pictured, for months afterwards

But despite agreeing to let the photos be used, Rice claims she was never allowed to get them back and her repeated demands for a CD containing the photos to be returned were rebuffed.



In a 45-page lawsuit she claims others at her police station had access to the photos.



It says Rice 'feels dirty, exposed and extremely embarrassed by these events and incidents'.

Rice claims that Detective Steve Cote, who took the photos in 2006, put them on his laptop where they could have been seen by everyone in the sheriff's office in Watertown.



She said she agreed to pose as the schoolgirl in return for signing a contract that gave her ownership of the photos.



Blame: Deputy Krystal Rice filed the $50 million lawsuit against Sheriff John Burns, pictured, Lt Michael Peterson and Detective Steve Cote

Target: Lt Michael Peterson who is also named in the lawsuit for causing emotional distress on Krystal Rice and defaming her

But the lawsuit claims Cote began harassing Rice, sending her text messages and spreading stories about the break-up of her marriage.



Her lawyer Charu Narang said: 'It didn’t stop at the photos. There was harassment, isolation, marginalization in the workplace also because she refused to go along with the advances that he had made to her and there were rumors being spread about her personally and professionally.'



In the lawsuit, Rice claims that when she started to complain about Cote she was warned the Sheriff's Office was a 'good old boys club' and that nothing would change.



The lawsuit says: 'Rice left the text messages unreported until March 2009, at which time Rice received a phone call from a man with whom she was having a relationship with.



'He informed her that Detective Cote had told his mother that Rice "slept with half the department and if your son has had any sort of contact with her you need to tell him that he needs to have him tested". '



Rice has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Sheriff John Burns, Lt Michael Peterson and Detective Steve Cote for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

