A DeSoto County detention deputy is out of a job and behind bars this week after an IT investigation uncovered something investigators are calling unacceptable. Douglas Chirinos, who had been with the sheriff’s office since 2025, was arrested Monday, October 26th, and fired the same day. According to the sheriff’s office, screenshots of partially nude female inmates, captured from surveillance cameras, were found on a shared agency computer, along with case information Chirinos had no apparent reason to access.
Detectives say he also bypassed security systems and got into other employees’ accounts without authorization. He’s now charged with a third-degree felony for unauthorized access to computer systems and electronic devices. Sheriff Potter says he’s extremely disturbed by what the IT department discovered and that Chirinos will be held accountable. The investigation remains open, and detectives are in the process of notifying the identified victims.
For Suncoast residents, the story raises familiar questions about how much trust we place in the people who work inside our county jails. Inmates keep their basic rights, including privacy, and this case shows the consequences that follow when someone in uniform decides those rights don’t apply. Have your own thoughts on how jail surveillance systems should be supervised? We’d like to hear from you.
