Christian Cataldo: Canterbury police officer convicted of illegally using police database

A young cop illegally accessed the police database after just three months on the job to get information on a woman who made criminal accusations about him after a night out.

A probationary police officer, just three months into the job, who illegally searched up a woman on the police database after she had stayed the night at his home has pleaded guilty.

Canterbury man Christian Cataldo, 23, was “anxious” about accusations the woman had put to him after a night out in the city when he used the police systems to illegally look into her, Burwood Local Court heard.

Christian Cataldo leaving Burwood Local Court. Picture: Paul Brescia

He was placed on restricted duties when he was first charged, then suspended once he pleaded guilty to the charge of access/modify restricted data held in a computer.

Cataldo met the woman during a night out on November 13, who stayed the night at his home as part of a larger group.

She left the next morning, and contacted Cataldo via text and phone calls in the following daysabout events which took place during the overnight stay, which are currently subject to police investigation. No charges have been laid.

Cataldo’s lawyer, Mr Willis said the texts were “accusing him of misbehaviour”.

“He knew because of his position as a probationary constable he was in a very precarious position,” Mr Willis told the court.

“The repeat allegation in both a phone call and text messages put him in a panic.”

Cataldo went to work at Bass Hill Police Station on November 17 for his 5.30pm – 5.30am shift and had been clocked on for less than an hour when he used the police database to search for the name of the woman who had put the allegations to him.

That brought him up to a screen which held her contact details, and any recordings of events with police.

Cataldo’s lawyer argued in court his client was only on the screen for a brief moment, and after seeing no recent events logged he quickly closed the screen.

Cataldo logged a false reason for the search, which investigating police said was not legally justified.

A formal complaint to police triggered the investigation into Cataldo which revealed the illegal use of the police database to search for the woman.

Magistrate Richard Funston was stunned when the lawyer acting on behalf of Cataldo said he would be seeking no conviction after pleading guilty to the crime, and said his actions had broken one of the few golden rules which were instilled during the academy.

“I find it a little rich that you would ask — a conviction has to be recorded. You know that,” Magistrate Funston said.

“Such an offence has serious implications for the public’s confidence in the administration of justice.

“When committed by a police officer they undermine the integrity of the police as a whole.”

Magistrate Funston said as a young police officer, Cataldo’s training would have been fresh in his mind when accessing restricted data in relation to a young woman who had made a criminal complaint about him.

“He was not accessing the data out of curiosity,” Magistrate Funston said.

“The reality is that I have no other choice but to impose a conviction.”

Cataldo was convicted of access/modify restricted data and placed on a conditional release order for a period of 12 months.