An IT worker for the Salt Lake City Police Department was arrested and charged for allegedly passing sensitive restricted information to an accused sex trafficker in exchange for sexual acts.
Patrick Kevin Driscoll, 50, who went by the moniker “The Guardian,” was arrested on Wednesday and charged with computer crimes, exploiting prostitution, aiding prostitution, obstructing justice, and theft, according to charging documents.
According to a police booking affidavit, Driscoll is an associate of Michael Ricks, who was charged with multiple felonies including exploitation of prostitution and human trafficking in March.
A victim, identified as a sex worker, met with law enforcement during the investigation and told police that she knew an associate of Ricks who was providing law enforcement data that is not available to the public, according to the affidavit.
She told officers that she was forced to perform “sexual acts” with Driscoll in exchange for the information, often arranged by Ricks. She told officers she “was fearful for her safety,” the affidavit says.
Driscoll would provide sensitive information such as phone numbers and identities of undercover police officers, specifically those investigating prostitution and human trafficking crimes. The victim told police Driscoll would directly send the information to Ricks.
“Multiple conversations have been found … between Ricks, V2, and V3 discussing The Guardian. In one conversation, V3 contacted another victim of Ricks and notified her to cancel her date and leave the hotel because The Guardian had just informed them that it was an undercover police operation. In another conversation V3 was informed of a police narcotics operation in a building next to her,” the affidavit said.
Driscoll admitted to providing information to Ricks when he was arrested on Wednesday. However, he told officers the info he gave Ricks was false and inaccurate.
A search of his home yielded electronic storage devices with confidential files including “the names of undercover officers, metro gang files, and other law enforcement restricted documents that could only be accessed through the use of multiple restricted databases or files,” the affidavit said.
Officials argued against his release pending trial, claiming Driscoll “not only has the knowledge but the means to shut down all city IT services should he desire.”
“At this junction city officials are unsure as to the extent or depth of the files that have been accessed.”
Salt Lake City Chief of Police Mike Brown said in a statement Thursday that “the allegations, as described in court documents, are very concerning.”
Mayor Erin Mendenhall also issued a statement on Thursday in which she said she is “deeply troubled by the circumstances and information surrounding the arrest of a Salt Lake City Corp,” according to Deseret, and urged the city’s Human Resources department “to move through the disciplinary process quickly to ensure this is resolved as fast as possible.”