Costa Mesa, California: a former police officer pleaded guilty in April 2026 to unauthorized computer access and two other misdemeanors after prosecutors said the officer used the department's Flock license-plate readers to locate and follow a romantic partner and her romantic interests and, while on leave in June 2024, to find a new boyfriend's address
The Orange County District Attorney said on 14 April 2026 that a former Costa Mesa police officer had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor unauthorized computer access and fraud, annoying and repeated phone calls, and contempt of court. According to prosecutors, the officer made 13 non-work CLETS records inquiries in June to December 2023 on a woman with whom the officer had a relationship, someone she dated and the officer's wife, and used the department's Flock license plate reader system to locate the vehicles of the woman and her romantic interests in order to follow them. While on leave in June 2024, the officer used the Flock system again to find the address of her new boyfriend in Torrance. After she ended the relationship in April 2024, prosecutors say, the officer contacted her thousands of times, threatened to reveal explicit photos and drove by her home in breach of a restraining order. The sentence was three years of informal probation and a 52-week domestic violence programme. The city later voted to keep its Flock contract while renegotiating terms.
AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 3 sources, 1 underlying account · Added 03/10/2026