David Franklin Slater, 63, a retired Nebraska Air Force intelligence officer, was indicted on Monday for sharing classified intelligence on a foreign dating site, where it looks like he might have been catfished by a spy.
The bizarre scenario quickly went viral, with comical exchanges between Slater and the woman who honeypotted him being released in charging documents filed by the Justice Department.
“Dear, what is shown on the screens in the special room?? It is very interesting,” read one message from the honeypot.
“Beloved Dave, do NATO and Biden have a secret plan to help us?” read another.
Other messages like “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!” and “You have a job in the Operations Center today, I remember, I’m sure there is a lot of interesting news there?” were swiftly mocked on X as the absurd story went viral.
“if you keep getting messages that start with ‘Beloved and Sweet Dave”..and think it’s normal.. Idk what to tell you,” commented @denz_0day.
“Beloved Dave, will you tell me your password and social security number so I can follow you along on your journeys,” riffed @melex2000.
According to a Justice Department press release, Slater “willfully, improperly, and unlawfully transmitted [National Defense Information] … classified as ‘SECRET,’” which he had reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, on a foreign online dating platform to a person not authorized to receive such information.”
Slater attended briefings related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the charging documents, and communicated that information to the honeypot, who called him her “secret agent.”
If convicted, Slater could face 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count he’s charged with.
And while plenty of people mocked the incident as absurd, ridiculous, and incurably boomer-brained, others were a little more forgiving, choosing to believe in love across cultures, boundaries, and even classification levels.
“Nah thats not a Russian spy shes just really into foreign relations” said @caligula9292.
