Retired U.S. Colonel arrested for leaking secrets on dating site

The indictment released on Monday detailed that from February to April 2022, Slater shared information classified as "secret" with a woman he encountered on a foreign dating site. This woman, purporting to be from Kyiv, Ukraine, allegedly asked Slater for sensitive, protected, and classified national defense information to which he had access, especially concerning the war in Ukraine.

Although the indictment did not disclose the woman's identity or her potential links to foreign agencies, Slater is up against three charges. These charges could result in up to a decade behind bars and fines reaching $250,000 for each offense. The initial court hearing set for Tuesday will explore the conditions for Slater's possible bail.

"Mr. Slater knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another individual, blatantly disregarding the security of his country and his sworn duty to safeguard its secrets," highlighted Assistant U.S. Attorney General Matthew Olsen.

This case emerged alongside another significant leak by National Guard soldier Jack Teixeira, who confessed to disseminating hundreds of secret documents on social media about the Ukraine conflict among others.

At 22, Teixeira reached a plea deal with prosecutors agreeing to a 16-year prison sentence. Despite his actions, investigators found no intent of espionage but suggested he aimed to impress online friends.