FCPD officer accidentally broadcasts ‘audio porn’ over police radio

Fairfax County Police Department’s in-car radio system (via FCPD/Facebook)

The new year got off to an awkward start for one Fairfax County police officer whose decidedly not-safe-for-work choice of late-night entertainment got some professional airtime.

The police radio channel picked up about eight minutes of pornographic sounds shortly after midnight on Sunday (Jan. 1), local public safety watcher Dave Statter reported. Statter observed that the noises suggested that someone was having sex or watching porn.

As it turned out, the latter theory was more accurate. The errant broadcast came from an off-duty police officer who was listening to “audio porn” while driving in his personal vehicle, the Fairfax County Police Department confirmed.

“Our investigation revealed that the off-duty officer was listening to ‘audio porn’ over his Bluetooth in his vehicle, which was captured on his activated police radio,” the department said. “The ‘audio porn’ in question has been positively confirmed as the same file broadcast over our police radio system.”

NEW: Steamy start to the new year for @FairfaxCountyPD & it wasn’t the humidity. For 8 mins this morning a stuck radio microphone gave a very strong impression someone, somewhere was having sex or watching porn. Will pass along any details from either #police or 911 as available. pic.twitter.com/Zz3QRJL7ra

— Dave Statter (@STATter911) January 1, 2023

The officer in question was interviewed by the FCPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Police determined that the officer forgot to turn off a portable radio left in the car’s trunk and that it “inadvertently activated” while he was driving, according to the news release. There was no one else in the car at the time.

The unnamed officer isn’t the first law enforcement official to land in hot water after accidentally broadcasting sexual activities over police air waves.

A sheriff’s deputy in Los Angeles came under scrutiny last month when a hot mic caught her getting busy with a partner during a work break. The sheriff’s department rules meant the woman could be suspended or fired for the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The FCPD said its internal investigation into the New Year’s Day misconduct is still ongoing. The department declined to comment or speculate about any potential discipline the officer could face.

Its general orders allow for anything from oral or written reprimands to termination, depending “upon the severity of the misconduct and the employee’s previous disciplinary history.”

Photo via FCPD/Facebook

Read the comments…