Charges: Faribault police captain used officer's squad computer to illegally look up son's personal information
FARIBAULT, Minn. – A former southern Minnesota police captain faces criminal charges after he allegedly accessed a state database illegally to find personal information about his son.
Fifty-four-year-old Neal James Pederson, of Geneva, was charged Monday with three gross misdemeanor crimes: one count of misconduct by a public officer, and two counts of unauthorized computer access.
The criminal complaint, filed in Rice County, states that a Faribault police officer noticed on Sept. 1 that her squad car computer had a query related to Capt. Pederson's adult son.
This was reported to Chief John Sherwin, who then watched surveillance video that showed Pederson enter the officer's car, which was parked in the station's secured lot. He was inside the squad for about 12 minutes before going back inside the station.
This case was then brought to the attention of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as a "conflict case." Investigators confirmed that Pederson had been trained in "proper accessing of criminal justice records," which are only to be viewed for criminal justice purposes.
Chief Sherwin told WCCO Monday that Pederson – a 22-year veteran of the department – is "no longer employed," and he had "notified the city of his retirement" on Nov. 4. He has been on paid leave since Sept. 6.
If convicted, Pederson could face up to 27 months in prison, in addition to several thousands of dollars in fines.
