A former Jackson County sheriff’s deputy was arrested on Monday after an internal audit found he used the department’s Flock license plate reader system to repeatedly search the same vehicle.

Skylar Thompson was charged with Level 6 felony official misconduct and Class A misdemeanor fraud.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department contacted Indiana State Police on Aug. 14 after an internal audit of Flock access identified Thompson’s account.

Investigators say Thompson searched the same license plate more than 2,000 times between December 2025 and August 2026.

According to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, the searches were recorded under “city planning/traffic analysis,” even though Thompson never worked in that assignment.

Indiana State Police detectives with the Sellersburg Post investigated the allegations before presenting their findings to prosecutors.

The prosecutor’s office said law enforcement officers are given access to sensitive information and investigative tools that must be used only for legitimate purposes.

Thompson is no longer employed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

The case also comes as law enforcement agencies face increased scrutiny over the use of automated license plate readers. Flock cameras can collect license plate information and help investigators identify vehicles connected to criminal cases, but their use has raised privacy concerns over how the technology can be used to track people’s movements.

The Institute for Justice has documented more than 100 cases involving alleged police misuse of automated license plate readers.

Some Indiana communities have moved away from Flock cameras, while other departments continue using the technology as an investigative tool.​