PRICHARD, Ala. (WALA) – A Prichard police officer, Malachi Derks Ligon, 24, has been arrested and charged with theft and distributing private images without consent, after allegedly mishandling the cell phone of a man he arrested.
According to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Ligon is accused of improperly taking the cell phone of Theodore Roberts Jr., a man arrested on a third-degree domestic violence charge during an incident at Blount High School. Instead of securing the phone per protocol, Ligon allegedly kept it and later sent private videos found on the phone to Roberts’ wife — videos of Roberts and another woman.
Sheriff Paul Burch stated the case began with a complaint from Roberts on Monday. Investigators then reviewed digital evidence, conducted interviews, and obtained search warrants. They confirmed the private images had been sent from Roberts’ own phone while it was in Ligon’s possession.
During questioning, Ligon was reportedly untruthful about his actions. Sheriff Burch noted that Ligon had previously worked briefly as a Mobile County corrections deputy, but did not pass the probationary period due to background concerns.
Ligon is now out on bail, and records show he also had an active warrant related to a speeding ticket. His arraignment is scheduled later this month.
Sheriff Burch called the behavior “a betrayal of public trust,” saying, “We’re supposed to defuse situations, not create more chaos or harm. Incidents like this damage the credibility of law enforcement as a whole.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
