Police officer charged with stalking after an AirTag linked to him was found in a victim’s car
The humble Apple AirTag has been used to help relocate people with anything from lost luggage at an airport to a stolen vehicle and everything in between. But Apple’s item trackers have unfortunately also been used to stalk people, as is the case after a Lancaster County constable was charged with such an offense.
After weeks of receiving alerts that an unknown AirTag was traveling with them, a man went to the local police station to make a report and ask for help finding the tracker. The AirTag was later discovered to be underneath the passenger seat.
Upon further investigation, it was found that the AirTag belonged to a constable who was then charged as a result of the discovery.
Three weeks of notifications
Local reports explain that the car’s owner had received AirTag alerts for three weeks but was unable to locate the tracker before asking for help from the police. Once it was found, a search warrant was issued to Apple with the company confirming who the AirTag was owned by.
That information led police to charge constable Shaun Sponagle with both stalking, a first-degree misdemeanor, and harassment, a summary offense.
It’s unknown why the AirTag had been placed in the vehicle and none of the involved parties were willing to comment when contacted by Lancaster Online.
Apple’s AirTags are designed to help people locate lost wallets and similar items but have, on occasion, been used in ways similar to this. Their accuracy and relatively cheap $29 asking price make them well-suited to just tasks, unfortunately. However, features such as the warning system encountered in this instance have been implemented to help warn people if an unknown AirTag is moving with them so they can take action.
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