A former Herefordshire Council employee has been handed a suspended sentence after unlawfully accessing hundreds of personal records, following an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Geoffrey Smith, 31, from Ledbury, was a new employee in the council's Children and Young People directorate when the breach was discovered, after concerns were raised over unauthorised access to a referral case.
A wider investigation found that, over four days, Smith unlawfully accessed around 490 records and downloaded 94 documents, including medical records, social worker reports and child and family assessments relating to family members and people known to him.
Smith pleaded guilty on 27 May 2026 to an offence under Section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
At Worcester Magistrates' Court on 17 July, he was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, alongside 120 hours' unpaid work, £2,000 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
What the ICO said
Andy Curry, ICO Head of Investigations, said: ‘Smith abused his position as an employee and used his access to Herefordshire Council's systems to view the personal information of people known to him, without any legitimate reason to do so.’
He added: ‘We will always take action to protect the public from those who misuse their access to sensitive information.’
