Ex-Costa Mesa police officer accused of using FLOCK cameras to track his mistress
A former Costa Mesa police officer pleaded guilty to using law enforcement tools, including FLOCK license plate readers, to track his wife, mistress and romantic rivals.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office also said Robert Jay Josett, 35, contacted his mistress thousands of times via texts and calls dozens of times a day over the nine months and admitted to violating a restraining order by driving by her home.
Josett pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors, including unauthorized computer access and fraud; annoying and repeated phone calls; and contempt of court for violating the restraining order.
"The actions engaged by someone employed as a sworn police officer are obsessive, they are frightening and they are dangerous," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
He was ordered to complete a 52-week domestic violence program and sentenced to three years of formal probation.
The Orange County DA said that Josett allegedly bombarded his mistress with messages and calls after she ended their relationship in April 2024. Prosecutors added that he allegedly threatened to post explicit photos of her and demanded to know if she was seeing anyone else.
Josett allegedly drove by his former mistress' home several times and called her and her new boyfriend relentlessly, as many as 58 times in one day, according to prosecutors.
The Orange County DA added that Josett allegedly used the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System database to gather information on people and vehicles not related to his job, including his mistress, someone she dated, and his wife in 2023. He is also accused of using FLOCK license plate readers to track his mistress and her romantic interests.
Despite being placed on leave in December 2023, Josett allegedly used the cameras to find his mistress' new boyfriend's address in June 2024.
"No one should have to live in fear of being tracked through law enforcement databases by someone with a badge and a gun because they decided to call off a romantic relationship," Spitzer said. "And no one gets to hide behind the badge as a shield for engaging in criminal behavior, and when a sworn law enforcement officer crosses the line from enforcing the law to committing crimes, they will be prosecuted."
Josett was fired by the Costa Mesa Police Department on June 28, 2024. The Peace Officers Standards and Training, which governs law enforcement licensing in California, is reviewing Josett's certification.
