A Victorian police officer has appeared in court charged with leaking confidential information to a private detective who was trying to track down a woman hiding from her father.
Adam John Thwaites is facing three charges of disclosing information from the Victoria Police database to private investigator and crime author Damian Marrett.
Thwaites, 39, appeared briefly in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday, where his hearing was adjourned to March.
An earlier court hearing for his co-accused Marrett heard that Thwaites searched the Victoria Police LEAP database for a woman at the request of Marrett.
Marrett made the request on behalf of another private investigator, who was helping a client track down his daughter, the hearing was told.
The victim of the illegal tip-off later told police she did not want to be found by her father, claiming he had sexually abused her as a child.
Marrett, 46, is a former Victoria Police officer who worked as an undercover agent and has since written three books on his time in the force.
He was working as a private investigator in 2012 when he approached Thwaites.
Thwaites is charged with disclosing information as a police officer which may endanger the safety of a person, disclosing information and wilful misconduct.
