An Ohio man was arrested after reportedly tracking his ex-girlfriend using a device without her knowledge.
According to WFMJ, 23-year-old Bikash Thapa was arrested after he allegedly used a tracking device to trace the movements of an ex-girlfriend.
The Goshen Township Police Department told reporters with WFMJ that on May 8, a woman contacted officers after discovering an AirTag in her vehicle. According to the site, the woman reported to authorities that she discovered the device after receiving a message on her iPhone that her whereabouts were being tracked.
After discovering the AirTag, the woman confronted Thapa over text message, where he allegedly admitted to planting the device because he was concerned she was “seeing other people.”
WFMJ stated that the woman cut off touch with Thapa and immediately alerted authorities.
Thapa was charged with unlawful use of a tracking device or application (1st-degree misdemeanor), according to the station.
At his arraignment on Wednesday, he pled not guilty and was released on his recognizance, according to WFMJ. Thapa is scheduled to appear in court on July 3 for a pre-trial hearing, according to the station.
Knowingly putting a monitoring device or application on another person’s property without their consent, or causing a device to follow another person’s movements without their consent, is prohibited in Ohio.
Those convicted of a first-degree misdemeanor in Ohio risk up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Under certain circumstances, such as prior convictions for similar crimes or a protection order against the perpetrator, the charge might be elevated to a fourth-degree felony.
Apple has included tools to prevent unwanted tracking. If a tracking device is discovered to be moving with an iPhone or iPad running iOS 14.5 or later, “Tracking Notification” alerts will be sent to such devices. You can view the notification, which displays a map with the device’s position pinged.
When you remove AirTags and other Find My Network accessories from their owner and move them, they will emit a sound.
Using an iPhone, you can use “Precision Finding” to locate an AirTag, which should trigger the device to make a sound. After locating the gadget, connect an NFC-capable smartphone to the AirTag to access not only the serial number but also restricted owner information.
You will also receive instructions to disable the device, which will stop it from communicating its location.
According to WFMJ, authorities can seek information from Apple to help them investigate illegal tracking.
