A DeSoto County Detention Deputy was arrested and fired this week after an internal computer review uncovered what the sheriff called deeply disturbing findings: screenshots of partially nude female inmates, criminal case files he had no business viewing, and evidence he had hacked into his coworkers' accounts. Douglas Chirinos was booked into the DeSoto County Jail on Monday on a third-degree felony charge tied to unauthorized computer access.
Sheriff Potter announced the arrest and the withdrawal of Chirinos' law enforcement appointment in a statement posted to the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, saying, “Today, Sheriff Potter is announcing the arrest of DeSoto County Detention Deputy Douglas Chirinos, and the withdrawal of his appointment.” The DeSoto County Sheriff's Office also moved to terminate Chirinos following the discovery, according to Gulf Coast News Now, which reported that his appointment was withdrawn and that the agency confirmed he has been let go.
How the Breach Came to Light
The trouble surfaced on October 23, when the agency's IT department became aware of a possible security breach tied to Chirinos, according to WINK News. That review turned up screenshots pulled from surveillance cameras showing partially nude female inmates, along with information about criminal cases that investigators say Chirinos had no reason to access. The same review found he had bypassed security systems and gotten into other employees' user accounts without authorization, per the outlet's reporting.
WFLA reports that the images recovered from the agency computer involved at least three different women and were taken between April and October of this year. Detectives have since identified the victims and are working to notify them about the incident, the station notes, citing investigators' account of the case.
Felony Charge and Agency Response
Chirinos was booked into the DeSoto County Jail on a third-degree felony count covering offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices without authorization or exceeding authorization, according to Gulf Coast News Now's reporting on the arrest. He had worked for the sheriff's office since 2025, the same report notes.
The Sheriff's Office says its investigation into the security breach and Chirinos' conduct remains ongoing. As My Suncoast reported following the arrest, officials confirmed the probe is continuing even after the termination and the start of victim notifications.
