A former Cecil County Sheriff's deputy was sentenced to six months in prison Wednesday for using police databases for personal searches about his wife, romantic partners and co-workers, the State Prosecutor's Office announced. 

Dontae D. Odom, 35, was also ordered to serve three years of probation after he pleaded guilty in October to misconduct in office and unauthorized computer use, court documents show. 

Judge Paul Howman condemned Odom's behavior during the sentencing hearing, saying, "You have done incalculable harm to law enforcement. You have truly dishonored the badge you used to wear." 

Unlawfully accessing police databases 

According to court documents, Odom served as a sheriff's deputy from 2019 to August 2025. During that time, he used confidential databases to find information about seven people, including his wife, romantic partners, a hotel employee and a woman who worked in his office. 

In September 2024, he assured one of the victims that he was not searching for their information, court documents show. 

After he began a relationship with one of the victims, he texted them that he had looked them up. During the conversation, Odom denied using the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to look up the person's address, saying, "Umm, no that[s] stalking and everything is tracked. I'm not getting fired for that." 

Court documents show that Odom searched for the victim's name in a police database two days after the conversation, along with two more searches related to a relative of the victim.

According to prosecutors, deputies are told they cannot use the databases for personal reasons. None of the searches that Odom conducted were for legitimate law enforcement purposes, according to court documents. 

In December 2024, Odom was ordered by the Sheriff's Office not to have any contact with a victim. However, in March 2025, he met with the victim and recorded their private conversation without consent. 

"Law enforcement officers have access to sensitive and confidential information necessary to discharge their official duties. Our office will continue to do our best to ensure that those officers who abuse their positions of trust and misuse their authorities for corrupt reasons are held accountable," State Prosecutor Charlton Howard said in a statement.