Detectives in the Metro Police Vice Squad have found their undercover personas have been compromised.
A Chicago woman arrested for prostitution had a detectives's name and phone number programmed on her cell phone even though they had never met.
"We made the arrest on the young lady who actually came into Louisville for prostitution that was from Chicago," said an undercover officer who spoke with WHAS News.
Detectives found "Lustful Lacie" on a webpage for Kentucky Escorts. They met her at a motel off of Blankenbaker Parkway. When she was arrested, she had news for the detectives.
"She said I know you, and I know you," said the undercover officer. "And I said how do you know me and she said you're so and so and you're so and so. I said how do you know this and she said I can't tell you. That's when we were able to find it through the cell phone."
Her real name is Rita Brophy. She told officers the detective's number was programmed into her phone. Detectives quickly got a search warrant.
"You have a safety issue," said the undercover officer. "Detectives have a safety issue. We are in a situation where we're vulnerable to anything in that moment because we're in an undercover capacity." Investigators say they have some leads on how the detective's number was leaked. But they are not sure how long it has been public knowledge among prostitutes.
"When they start plastering us around state to state that's a different situation' said th eundercover officer. "The better we get the better they get. And the better they get, the better we have to get."
According to the search warrant, investigators are examining the phone's contents and re-evaluating their methods for investigating escorts.