A man from Wigan, UK has been sentenced to one year and two months in jail for hacking into computers around the world and secretly filming unsuspecting victims. Christopher Taylor, a 60-year-old who cared for his sick wife and had three children, targeted victims by placing fake links on porn sites that granted him full access to their laptops, including the webcam. Taylor used malicious software to illegally access the computers while his targets ate, worked, practised yoga and changed clothes, secretly filming them in various stages of undress and while having sex. In total, Taylor collected 80,000 images and videos from 2010 to 2016 for his own sexual gratification. He also stored a video of a woman having sex with a dog.
Taylor was caught by American law enforcement after a student at the Georgian Technological Institute accidentally installed malicious software on her laptop. The college’s detection systems flagged the software and the information was sent to the FBI. Taylor’s home was subsequently searched in February 2016, with photos and videos found on his computer leading to his arrest. The investigation also unearthed that Taylor had deleted thousands of files before he was caught.
Neil Freiman, prosecuting, noted that Taylor’s victims were of all ages, and often included those who were eating, working, in bed and/or practicing yoga. He also pleaded with the court to take into account the invasive nature of Taylor’s crimes.
The investigation into Taylor’s activities began in 2010 but he was only charged with fraud and a computer crime at the end of last year. The American authorities had asked for Taylor to be extradited to the US for trial but the request was denied by a London court because of concerns that his ill wife’s health would suffer as a result.