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SALT LAKE CITY — A state employee was charged Wednesday with illegally getting into his co-worker's computer, changing her Facebook password and reading her messages.
Eric Brian Thompson, 42, of Farmington, is charged in 3rd District Court with computer fraud, a third-degree felony.
In May of 2016, Thompson was an employee of the state of Utah, according to charging documents, but they don't specify which state agency.
A female co-worker "voiced her frustration" with Thompson to another co-worker using Google Chat. When the woman left work, "she was careful to lock her computer and turn off her wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and her monitors so she wouldn't lose any work," charging documents state.
Later that night, Thompson texted the woman "asking her why she and another employee were against him," according to the charges.
The woman called Thompson, who "berated her on the phone and told her she left her computer unlocked so he went through her texts and instant messages," the charges state. About a week later, police say Thompson accessed her Facebook account without her permission and changed her password.
The Utah State Bureau of Investigations determined "Thompson gained unauthorized access to (her) work computer" including her Facebook account, instant messages and saved passwords, according to charging documents.
