Women settle lewd photo suits against cops

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Two federal lawsuits alleging on-duty New York police detectives took lewd photos of two women have been settled with the defendants admitting no wrongdoing.

Stacia Lipka, the daughter of musician David Bowie's ex-wife Angela Bowie, settled her case in New York federal court for $80,000 after accusing Detectives Richard Vecchio and John Holbert of taking nude photographs of her in a hospital during an October 2003 rape investigation, the Staten Island (N.Y.) Advance reported Friday.

The court ruled $77,500 of the settlement will be paid by the city and Holbert will pay $2,500.

A second suit against the same two detectives, brought by Kristina Sellers, alleged Vecchio took pictures of her exposed breast and nipple ring while she was being processed at a police station in January 2004 on charges of leaving the scene of an accident -- charges that were later dropped. The court awarded Sellers $70,000, with the city paying $62,000, Vecchio paying $7,500 and Holbert supplying the final $500.