Florida repair tech accused of saving copy of explicit video from customer’s phone

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A repair technician working on a Florida woman’s phone found an “explicit video” among her files and made a copy for himself, authorities said.

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According to a news release from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Cody Austin Terry, 28, of North Port, was arrested on Monday. He was charged with accessing a computer or electronic device without authority, WINK-TV reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, the victim took her iPhone to an I-Fix store in Port Charlotte and left it with the suspect for approximately two hours to be repaired. Deputies allege that Terry browsed the woman’s files and discovered an explicit video saved to the device. Terry then allegedly texted the file to his phone, the sheriff’s office said.

The next day, the victim discovered the sent text message and noticed the video had been deleted from her device, the sheriff’s office said. She made a report to the sheriff’s office, and detectives traced the text to Terry’s phone, The Miami Herald reported.

After speaking with a detective, Terry allegedly agreed to allow a search of his phone, the sheriff’s office said. He also allegedly guided the investigator to a hidden file on his phone where the video was located.

Terry also signed a waiver to allow deputies to download the contents of his phone. They verified that the file had been sent from the victim’s phone number while the device was in for repairs, deputies said.

“When we engage the service of a company, we have an expectation of trust that the job will be done and our privacy protected,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “This young man not only violated that trust, but also broke the law. I encourage everyone to be cautious with your personal files on your electronic devices, because once they get out, there is no telling how far they can go.”

Terry was arrested and later posted $5,000 bail, online booking records show. He will appear in court next month, WINK reported.

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