Former York Central School District IT employee facing felony computer trespass charges

YORK, N.Y. (WHEC) — A Livingston County man is facing felony computer crime charges after deputies say he accessed nearly a dozen of his co-workers’ cell phones without their permission and was able to access their personal information.

The investigation began when Livingston County Sheriff’s Investigators responded to a report of possible criminal activity by a former York Central School District IT employee back on April 27, 2021.

Deputies say Ryan T. Fraser, 40, of Leicester, NY asked another employee to remove a computer file that was still on the school’s server after he left the school district.

The employee he allegedly asked to remove the file did not do so, and school officials became concerned about why Fraser made the request, according to deputies.

A forensic examination of the computer revealed that Fraser was able to create a full cell phone backup of the phones he accessed between 2019 and 2021, according to deputies.

Deputies arrested Fraser on Aug. 18 and charged him with four counts of felony computer trespass.

He was issued an appearance ticket and is due back in Town of York Court at a later date.