Police: Payroll Deductions Did Not Pay for Porn

WASHINGTON - Investigators were trying to find out whether a security breach had led to unauthorized payroll deductions from police officers' paychecks and whether those deductions were paying for porn.

Metropolitan Police confirm at least two officers have discovered questionable deductions on their pay stubs that may have gone to a phone sex service.

Police spokesperson Traci Hughes first told WTOP that police were trying to find out whether there was a glitch in the payroll system or whether there has been a breach of security.

Now, Hughes says the deductions were legitimate insurance payments and police were unintentionally dialing the wrong 800 number to reach the company.

Instead of dialing 877 before the number, they dialed 866 and were connected to a phone sex line.

The investigation began after an officer discovered a $70.50 deduction plus a 50-cent fee on a recent pay stub. When the officer notified the payroll department he was told the deduction was for a company called First Chicago. The number provided for the company appeared to be for a sex chat line.

According to an e-mail sent out by the officer, who has now blocked the deductions, the deductions had been occurring since May 2006 and have amounted to about $2,500.

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