SPRINGDALE (KFSM) -- A former information technology worker for the city of Springdale was cited after he hacked into the police chief's computer and downloaded more than 3,000 files, according to the Springdale Police Department.
Former IT employee William Peter Ussery, 34, was cited for a misdemeanor charge of computer trespassing, Lt. Scott Lewis said.
Lewis said on June 3 an informant tipped off police about Ussery illegally downloading thousands of various files from former Chief Kathy O'Kelley's computer.
"This was a big shock to us," Lewis said. "We never expected one of our own to be accessing the chief's computer."
Ussery used his computer-access privileges as an IT worker for the city to download the documents, according to a 15-page report from the Springdale Police Department.
"Someone as high as the police chief, she is going to have some sensitive information on her computer," Lewis said.
The informant told investigators that Ussery told him "what is on the flash drive is not good for the chief" just before he terminated his employment with the city on May 29, according to the report.
With the help of an IT manager, officers were able to obtain a record log that showed Ussery remotely accessed O'Kelley's computer on May 28, the report states.
On June 9, officers obtained a search warrant for Ussery's home and seized a computer, two cellphones, a hard drive, two flash drives and a server, according to the report. A forensic examination of Ussery's devices showed O'Kelley's files, as well as files belonging to other city employees, were saved on them, the report states.
The files included budgets, jail documentation, performance evaluations, medical records, crime scene photos, award documents, firearms training, gang files, disciplinary records and many more police-related files, according to the report.
Investigators said they found 3,137 files from the police department on Ussery's devices, the report states.
Investigators also considered the possibility that Ussery may have used the files for personal or financial gain.
"We want to find out what his motivation was," Lewis said. "Partially due to recent events with the whole [Josh] Duggar incident."
The police report states the informant contacted police about the breach just days after In Touch Weekly published an incident report on May 21 in which Josh Duggar of "19 Kids and Counting" fame was accused of molesting five young girls when he was a teenager.
"It was not a direct focus of the investigation," Lewis said. "But it was something that we were aware of and possibly could have been a motive."
Investigators checked Ussery's bank account, but did not find any unusual activity, according to the police report.
5NEWS went to Ussery's home and asked him if he was the one who leaked the documents to In Touch Weekly.
"This has nothing to do with that," he said.
Lewis said that is something investigators believe at this time based on that fact that none of the recovered data from the seized computers and hard drives indicated any contact between Ussery and national media.
Lewis said the department decided to move forward with the charges against Ussery.
"He accessed [the computer], and he even admitted it. He claims he only did it out of curiosity," Lewis said. “That is why he is only charged with a misdemeanor count of accessing that computer."
Springdale City Attorney Ernest Cate said his office also considered the possibility that Ussery was connected to the Duggar incident report, but he too said right now he has no reason to believe Ussery did it.
5NEWS called Ussery's attorney, but did not get a response.
Police issued Ussery a citation to appear in-lieu of an arrest, according to the police report. The Springdale Police Department considers their investigation complete, Lewis said.