In a shocking case that raises serious concerns about privacy and civil rights, a citizen has filed a lawsuit against a local sheriff’s department employee for allegedly taking and sharing unauthorized photos. The complaint was filed by Candice Genge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on January 27, 2026, naming David Galvan as the defendant.
According to the details outlined in the complaint, Candice Genge accuses David Galvan, an employee of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department, of violating her federal civil rights. The incident reportedly occurred on June 28, 2024, when Galvan allegedly took a photo of Genge without her consent while she was in an observation cell at Sauk County Jail. This happened during a vulnerable moment when Genge was attempting suicide after being informed that her probation officer was revoking her back to prison due to incomplete community service hours. Galvan is accused of taking an image of Genge’s naked body and sharing it multiple times on Snapchat with other deputies at the jail. The complaint states that Galvan admitted his actions were meant as a joke because he thought another deputy “was a boob man.”
The lawsuit also implicates the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department for failing to protect Genge’s civil rights and not adequately supervising their employees or maintaining proper surveillance systems. Although there was an internal investigation by Columbia County Sheriff’s Department into Galvan’s conduct, which led to system upgrades at Sauk County Jail, Genge claims these measures came too late. She had attempted to resolve the matter outside court but found the $10,000 settlement offer from Sauk County attorneys insufficient given her ongoing emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
Genge is seeking compensatory damages along with statutory and punitive damages in amounts yet to be determined. Additionally, she requests that David Galvan’s name be added to the “Brady list,” which would require reporting this incident under the National Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Her hope is that such actions will prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Representing herself in this case, Candice Genge demands a jury trial to hear her claims against David Galvan and Sauk County Sheriff’s Department. The case has been assigned Case ID: 3:26-cv-00065-wmc.
Source: 326cv00065_Genge_v_Galvan_Complaint_Western_District_Wisconsin.pdf
