Livingston

A deputy sheriff in the Columbia County Sheriff's Office was arrested Tuesday after allegedly taking nude photographs of a woman without her knowledge and posting them on the Internet.

Thomas G. Bagnall, 27, of Hudson, has been charged with unlawful surveillance in the second degree, a felony, troopers said.

Bagnall turned himself in to State Police in Livingston, according to the sheriff's office.

State Police have been investigating the case since August, when a Germantown woman reported learning nude photos of herself were on the Internet. State Police say they discovered the photos had been taken outside the woman's home without her knowledge or consent.

Bagnall was arraigned in town of Livingston Court. He is in Columbia County Jail in lieu of bail. The sheriff's office has placed him on unpaid leave.

Sheriff David P. Bartlett said the incident was not a reflection on the work of his office.

"The bad judgment of what Mr. Bagnall has been accused of is unfortunate," Bartlett said. "The men and women who work here do work hard for the citizens of this county every day."