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A former Costa Mesa police officer pleaded guilty to using the FLOCK license plate reader system and law enforcement databases to illegally track his mistress, her romantic partners, and his wife.
Orange County prosecutors said Costa Mesa, California, police officer Robert Jay Josett used the department's Flock Safety license-plate reader system between 2023 and 2024 to locate a woman he was seeing and vehicles belonging to her romantic partners, including after he was placed on leave. In 2026, Josett pleaded guilty to misdemeanor unauthorized computer access and fraud, repeated phone calls, and contempt of court.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that memorize and leak sensitive personal data or infer private information about individuals without their consent. Unexpected or unauthorized sharing of data and information can compromise user expectation of privacy, assist identity theft, or cause loss of confidential intellectual property.
Also classified as
The perpetrator used the system to stalk, harass, and threaten to leak explicit photos of his mistress to gain personal advantage and control over her.
The officer abused the FLOCK license plate reader system to track the physical locations and movements of private individuals without their consent, violating their privacy.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
The risk and harm were caused by the intentional decision of a human user to abuse his authorized access to the FLOCK license plate reader system for personal tracking.
Added categories peak at 2: Minor (Psychological Harm, Direct)
A former local police officer pleaded guilty to abusing law enforcement databases and the FLOCK license plate reader system to stalk his mistress and others. While representing a serious abuse of authority and privacy violation for the individuals involved, the national security impact is minor and managed through standard local judicial and administrative procedures.
The FLOCK license plate reader system was used as a tool by the officer to query and retrieve location data of specific vehicles based on direct inputs.
High Risk: The FLOCK system is used in law enforcement applications, specifically for tracking and surveillance, which has significant implications for fundamental rights and public safety.
The FLOCK system is a license plate reader system used by law enforcement to recognize plates and track vehicle locations.
The report is an official press release from the Orange County District Attorney's office detailing a guilty plea, providing highly reliable factual details about the systems used and the actions taken.
None
Technology
FLOCK System Vulnerability
The FLOCK license plate reader system was vulnerable to unauthorized tracking.
CLETS Database Access
The state law enforcement database allowed unauthorized personal inquiries.
Data Inputs
Real-time Vehicle Location Data
Continuous license plate reader data enabled tracking of victims' movements.
Confidential Personal Records
Access to database records provided personal information on target individuals.
Human Factors
Officer Obsessive Behavior
The officer used his professional authority to stalk and harass his mistress.
Abuse of Authority
The officer used his position to access restricted databases for personal reasons.
Process and Methods
Lack of Real-time Access Alerts
The system failed to flag or block inquiries unrelated to active investigations.
Inadequate Post-Suspension Lockout
The officer retained FLOCK system access even after being placed on leave.
Management
Insufficient System Auditing
Management failed to detect thirteen unauthorized database inquiries over months.
Delayed Credential Revocation
Management did not immediately revoke system access when placing officer on leave.
Regulatory Environment
Inadequate Database Compliance
State and local regulations failed to prevent misuse of sensitive databases.
AI system involved
Identified by automated extraction; can differ from the alleged developers above.
