Key facts
- Robert Dillon was arrested and prosecuted for attempting to lure a child after an AI facial recognition system identified him with 93% probability.
- Dillon lives over 300 miles from Jacksonville Beach, where the incident occurred, and has never visited the city.
- The charges against Dillon were dismissed last year.
- Dillon has filed a lawsuit against the Jacksonville Beach police department, Jacksonville sheriff's office, and Pinellas county sheriff's agency, which operates the facial recognition system.
- The lawsuit alleges that investigators deliberately omitted exculpatory evidence and relied on a low-quality image for the facial recognition match.
- The ACLU noted this is at least the 15th documented case nationally where a false facial recognition identification led to arrest or charges.
A Florida man, Robert Dillon, has filed a lawsuit against multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Jacksonville Beach police department and the Pinellas county sheriff's office, alleging wrongful arrest and prosecution stemming from a faulty AI facial recognition identification. The algorithm indicated a 93% probability that Dillon was the suspect in an incident involving an attempted child lure at a McDonald's in Jacksonville Beach.
Dillon, who resides in Fort Myers, over 300 miles away, maintains he has never been to Jacksonville Beach. The charges against him were dismissed last year. The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU on Dillon's behalf, contends that investigators deliberately omitted exculpatory evidence, such as license plate reader data showing none of Dillon's vehicles were near the restaurant, and failed to properly vet the low-definition security footage used for the identification. The suit also claims an employee's identification from a photo lineup was improperly relied upon, despite evidence suggesting the suspect was a regular customer, which would have been impossible for Dillon.
The ACLU highlighted that Dillon's case is at least the 15th nationally where a false facial recognition identification has led to an arrest or charges. A similar case involved Jalil Richardson, who spent nearly three months in jail after being extradited to Jacksonville based on a facial recognition match for a car theft, despite timecard evidence placing him 400 miles away at work. Dillon expressed ongoing trauma from the experience, stating he no longer feels comfortable being friendly to children and that police have not apologized or acknowledged the error.