A council worker has been handed a suspended sentence after an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office established that he had unlawfully accessed hundreds of personal records, including records relating to children.
The worker was employed in the council's Children and Young People directorate. The investigation took place after concerns were raised within the council about potential unauthorised access to a referral case.
The investigation revealed that he had unlawfully accessed approximately 490 records and downloaded 94 documents over a four-day period. The records related to his family members and families known to him, and included adults and children. They involved highly sensitive material such as medical records, social worker reports and child and family assessments.
He pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, relating to the unlawful accessing of personal data held on computers. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay costs of £2,000 and a victim surcharge of £154.