Oklahoma City Man Sues Sheriff After Facebook Hack Led To Search Warrant

A person dwelling in Oklahoma Metropolis, simply east of Yukon, mentioned he bought an alarming message from a pal in August 2021: Somebody had modified his Fb profile image to a photograph of a sexually compromised minor. 

“Anyone had gotten onto my account via an information leak, I am unsure, however modified my profile image to youngster exploitation,” mentioned Brandon Whitman.  

The social media platform disabled Whitman’s profile minutes after the change.  

Whitman reported the hack to Fb and to the Oklahoma Metropolis Police Division.  

“It’s a fairly heinous act,” he mentioned. Per week later, his account was restored.  

“Fb cleared my account. (They mentioned,) ‘Yup, you had been hacked. You are good and free and clear,’” Whitman mentioned.  

About 5 months later, in January 2022, Whitman was residence along with his spouse and daughter when somebody knocked on their entrance door. He mentioned when his spouse opened the door, a number of deputies promptly entered his residence.  

A Canadian County choose had permitted a search warrant from Whitman’s residence for any proof of kid pornography.  

“The very first thing I did was say, ‘guys I already cleared this with OCPD… are y’all conscious of that?’ They mentioned ‘no we do not discuss to them,’” Whitman mentioned.  

Whitman filed a lawsuit in opposition to the sheriff’s workplace on Monday, accusing the workplace and the county authorities of “negligent infliction of emotional misery” and “negligence.” His legal professional mentioned they’re in search of $175,000 in damages.  

The Canadian County Sheriff’s Workplace advised Information 9 it doesn’t touch upon pending litigation.  

Whitman mentioned the division seized a number of computer systems and different units, together with a pc from his employer. He mentioned the incident impacted his means to do his job and left him feeling considerably distressed.  

“The previous 12 months has been a continuing battle. I’ve had well being points I’ve by no means had earlier than. Sleep continues to be a problem,” Whitman mentioned. “The entire scenario simply felt flawed.”