…Researched and contributed by Judah Olanisebee.
Married Father-of-Three Sentenced for Hacking into Hundreds of Webcams Across the World
Christopher Taylor, a 60-year-old man from Wigan, UK, has been sentenced for tricking 772 people in 39 countries into relinquishing control of their computers so he could spy on them through their webcams.
Taylor was caught by the FBI after IT specialists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta found malware on a student’s laptop.
When police raided his home, they discovered that Taylor had watched and recorded 80,000 images and videos over a three-year period.
Neil Fryman, prosecuting, said that at least 47 women had been secretly watched by Taylor while they were having sex with their partners.
He faces a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.
The Deceptive Scheme
Taylor lured in his unsuspecting victims by placing phony links on porn sites.
Once the links were clicked, he would have full access to the victim’s computer.
Taylor has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and claimed that he only had an “obsessive interest in computers and hacking” and not a sexual interest in his victims.
The Malware and its Detection
The malware was discovered by the “sophisticated spyware systems” at Georgia Institute of Technology, which enabled FBI agents to link it back to Taylor’s home in Wigan.
The investigation found that Taylor had deleted thousands of files before his arrest.
The Outcome
Taylor has been sentenced for securing unauthorized access to computer material, voyeurism, and possession of extreme pornography.
He faces a maximum of two years’ imprisonment.
In mitigation, Andrew Jebb, Taylor’s lawyer, said that his client “still struggles to provide an obvious answer as to why all of this began” and that his obsession “merely started out as an interest in viruses before it developed into something more sinister.”
Commentary
Taylor’s actions show how easily people can be exploited through their computers and the internet.
It is a reminder to always be cautious about the links that are clicked and the websites that are visited.
The case also highlights the importance of having proper security measures in place to prevent such unauthorized access to our computers and personal lives.
It is disturbing to think that someone could be watching us through our webcams without our knowledge, and Taylor’s sentence is a step towards justice for his victims.
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