Attachments

20260312-174432-2aa-(Facebook) - Affidavit Belle Accountability.pdf

VIENNA — Sheriff Mark Morgan said a search warrant he requested as part of a harassment investigation involving the Facebook page “Belle Accountability” was not granted by the court. Morgan said he submitted an affidavit seeking authorization to obtain identifying information connected to the anonymous account but the warrant was denied and he was never provided a written explanation for the decision by 25th Circuit Court Judge Kerry G. Rowden.

Morgan provided a copy of the affidavit outlining the investigation and the basis for the request. The affidavit sought subscriber records, messages, IP logs and other account data from Meta in an effort to identify the person operating the “Belle Accountability” Facebook page as part of a harassment investigation involving posts about local law enforcement officers. 

According to Morgan’s affidavit:

"Before the Honorable Kerry Rowden, Associate Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of Maries County, Missouri, the undersigned, being duly sworn, deposes and says:

I, Mark Morgan, the elected Sheriff of Maries County have reason to believe that evidence to the identity of the suspect in a harassment investigation. to-wit:  All records and data, within the time period of July 25, 2025 to August 15, 2025, with all account information without limitation including subscriber records, expanded subscriber content, all inbox and out box messages, user photos, videos, group information, private messages, geolocation data and all IP logs, and other evidence relating to the subscriber(s), customer(s), account holder(s), or other entity (ies) associated with Belle Accountability Facebook Accounts located at:

https://www.facebook.com/belle.accountability=61555999889585

This data to be searched for and seized includes any account information without limitation including subscriber records, expanded subscriber content, all inbox and out box messages, user photos, videos, group information, private messages, marketplace information and data, geolocation data Facebook and all IP logs; in an attempt to identify and locate suspect in harassment investigation are located in and at:

Meta, Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California, 94025, a foreign corporation under Section 351.609 RSMo., and doing business in Maries County, State of Missouri and accepting Service pursuant to Section 351.609 RSMo. via Facebook portal facebook.com/records.

And, in support of his belief states the following:   

Your affiant has been a certified peace officer in the State of Missouri since 2015. I am currently employed by the Maries County Sheriff’s Office as the elected County Sheriff. During my career I have assisted in the drafting and execution of search warrants; in addition, I have served in various assignments to include patrol, investigations and criminal intelligence. The information contained within this affidavit is based on my personal observations or training and information related to me by other law enforcement officers or agents.

CURRENT INVESTIGATION: 

This investigation surrounds:

I have probable cause to believe the crime of harassment has occurred and is continually be committed by the owner of Facebook user account named “Belle Accountability”. The account is an anonymous account with no owner or page administrator information listed that was created January 27, 2024. The account uses this anonymous Facebook account titled “Belle Accountability” to target law enforcement officers and suggest they are “predators” while additionally inferring they are “sexual predators”. 

On Aug. 14, 2025, Belle Accountability made a post stating, “Sexual harassment becoming a regular practice here”, the post goes on to say, “A Maries County officer is in trouble yet again for sexual harassment, and they won’t say who. One was already suspended for allegedly harassing women, and now it’s happening again. Reports say these offenses took place at Casey’s. Sexual harassment seems to be a pattern at the local Police Department.”

Aug. 15, 2025, Facebook account “Belle Accountability” posted a photo of Maries County Deputy Kevin Green in uniform and posted, “This is supposedly the officer (right) involved in the recent sexual harassment complaint in Belle. If you have been harassed by him, or know someone who has, call the Missouri State Police at 573-751-1000”.

Note: No Maries County Deputy or Belle Police Officer has been charged or convicted of harassment or any crime of a sexual nature but “Belle Accountability” suggest it is a common occurrence in Maries County with the intent to cause emotional distress to the officer and their families.

On July 27, 2025 “Belle Accountability” shares a post from Amber Carlson where Carlson is complaining about Belle Police Officer Erican Sugg conducting an investigation into a juvenile in Carlson’s residence regarding prank phone calls. Belle Accountability shares Carlson’s post and makes the statement, “The predator needs to be in jail”. 

Facebook account “Belle Accountability” does not provide facts or details or any evidence to substantiate the claims or make any kind of declarations as to being a journalist or to have any ties to any reputable journalist platforms. The owner of Facebook page named “Belle Accountability” makes these posts about Officer Kevin Green and Erican Sugg without good cause and does so with the intent to cause emotional distress to these police officers and their families thereby violating RSMO: 565.091. 

Officer Erican Sugg submitted a written statement to the Maries County Sheriff’s Office on July 30, 2025. 

Erican Sugg states,  “Based in the nature of some of the comments that I have seen on posts made by Belle Accountability I now face alternate fears, than what is typical of a law enforcement officer carrying out his duties in the City of Belle. It is difficult to escape the harassment by Belle Accountability because I work with the public and citizens frequently ask me about the content in the posts made by Belle Accountability. I have also received a few threatening messages based on content published by Belle Accountability”.

ELECTRONICALLY STORED DATA:

Through my training and experience I know that subscribers to Facebook, can send and receive private messages to and from other subscribers.  Facebook users can post pictures, post pictures and messages on their “wall” page and leave “wall” posts to other subscribers.  

Through my training and experience I know that Facebook maintains records and logs pertaining to text messages sent and received between subscribers and maintain those records for a minimum of 90 days when requested to preserve those records.  

Through my training and experience I know that Facebook captures IP logs when a subscriber logs onto their account. Internet Protocol addresses, IP addresses, are the computer ports where a computer connection is entered from an originating computer.  Computer companies and Internet Service Providers that allow access to their computers have specific IP addresses registered to them.  

Through my training and experience I know that location information occurs through sites such as Facebook, critical evidence of the subscribers location or parties that he is associating with can be obtained from the servers utilized by these companies.   I also know that data held by these companies can assist in locating suspects committing the crime of harassment.

 Through my training and experience I know that Unites States Code Title 18 Chapter 121 Section 2701 permits a state court of competent jurisdiction having jurisdiction over the offense under investigation to issue a search warrant for electronically stored data held by any Electronic Communication Service or Remote Computing Service. Through my training and experience I know through experience that Facebook receives numerous requests for records through court process and it sometimes takes extended periods of time to fulfill said requests.  Therefore, I am requesting an extended period of time beyond the initial 10-day limit to make a return to the courts. The affiant requests this Court order an additional 50 days’ extension on the return of the search warrant to this Court, for a total of 60 days from today’s date.

In light of these concerns, affiant hereby requests the Court’s permission to obtain electronically stored data and records from this web-based company. 

The affiant requests this Court order an additional 50 days’ extension on the return of the search warrant to this Court, for a total of 60 days from today’s date.

This affidavit was prepared on Tuesday Aug. 19, 2025, at approximately 1100 hours.