Lubbock's Dirty Cop Allegedly Shared Info with Exotic Dancers

LUBBOCK, TX — Derek Johnson, a former deputy with the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Friday afternoon on charges of distributing confidential information. Sources suggest he may have been handing out private details to others, including to exotic dancers.

According to court documents, the investigation into Deputy Derek Johnson began after the LCSO Criminal Investigation Unit was tipped off about a potential crime on October 10, 2024. The crime was called "Distribution of Confidential Information."

As the investigation unfolded, Johnson was placed on administrative leave and later fired from his position. The case was then forwarded to the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office for further review and a court date.

While the sheriff’s office has not announced what specific information Johnson is accused of sharing, the case has sparked some online chatter. Multiple allegations about his behavior while on duty have surfaced on social media.

One local Lubbock social media commenter claimed Johnson mishandled a car accident involving a drunk driver, suggesting he may have “let the driver off easy” due to ties with a local government official. “This man let the drunk driver who hit us at a red light get away with everything. When the report came out, all it said was 'failure to control speed'—you can probably guess the rest,” the user posted.

Another commenter shared how Johnson allegedly followed a woman home after pulling her over. The commenter alleged Johnson saw her temporary story post on Facebook. “He was literally following this girl around after he pulled her over,” the post read. “I remember her posting her story on FB.”

For some, the arrest seems long overdue. “When women reported him for harassing us, y’all still let him be a cop,” one Facebook user commented. “Why wait until now?”

An anonymous source spoke to South Plains LIVE! and claimed Johnson had a history of harassment, including making inappropriate comments during traffic stops and following women home. The source mentioned seeing a post after an arrest where a woman alleged Johnson had harassed her where she worked as a stripper, followed her home, and made unwelcome advances after her shift.

The source also claimed Johnson had a pattern of fabricating police reports, including false complaints about house parties simply because “he wasn’t invited.”

“They [LCSO] knew about it back then,” the anonymous source said. “This guy’s been a problem for quite a while. But they still hired him and kept him on.”

The allegations against Johnson have raised questions about privacy and abuse of power within local law enforcement. Some speculate that Johnson may have used his position to access sensitive databases, including FLOCK cameras and other tracking systems, to collect and distribute personal information—especially about the women he allegedly harassed. The FLOCK system, to which the LSO has access, can track anyone's vehicle anywhere within the county through a large array of hidden cameras mounted inconspicuously around Lubbock.

“I’ve heard that he was selling confidential information to a stripper,” the source said. “I’ve also heard that if you gave him a woman’s name, he’d give you her entire readout of what personal info has in LE databases. If he had access to those FLOCK cameras, he could tell you where she went every day.”

Johnson’s role as a deputy, his involvement with the sheriff’s SWAT team, and his support for the Texas Anti-Gang Task Force have only added layers of concern to the situation. Local officials are under pressure to investigate not just Johnson’s actions but also how he was able to continue these alleged offenses without any real intervention, if true.

An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson on December 13. Authorities found him in the 6000 block of Slide Road, where he was taken into custody without incident. He was booked at the Lubbock County Detention Center on charges of distributing confidential information but was released later that afternoon after posting a $1,000 bond.

The Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that their investigation into Derek Johnson is ongoing.