A British man, Christopher Taylor, has been sentenced to 14 months in jail for illegally accessing hundreds of webcams across the globe, invading the privacy of unsuspecting individuals. Taylor, a 60-year-old married father of three, manipulated 772 people in 39 countries, exploiting their webcams to observe intimate moments and activities without their knowledge or consent.
Over a span of six years, Taylor utilized malware called 'Cammy' to take control of victims' computer devices while they carried out their daily lives, including engaging in private acts like undressing, studying, and practicing yoga. Disturbingly, investigations revealed that Taylor clandestinely spied on 47 women engaging in sexual activity with their partners, all from his residence in Abram, Wigan, Greater Manchester.
The case was uncovered when administrators at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta detected the malware on a student's laptop within their aerospace laboratory. This crucial discovery led to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) being alerted, ultimately leading to Taylor's arrest.
In 2016, during a raid on Taylor's residence, law enforcement authorities discovered a vast collection of over 80,000 images and videos obtained from his voyeuristic activities between 2010 and 2016. Shockingly, this collection included 82 media files related to bestiality, including one depicting a woman engaged in sexual activity with a dog.
Further investigations unveiled that Taylor had deleted thousands of files before his arrest. His modus operandi involved enticing victims with deceptive links placed on pornographic websites. Once clicked, these links provided Taylor unrestricted access to victims' laptops, enabling him to assume complete control over their devices.
At the Bolton Crown Court, Taylor pleaded guilty to charges of unauthorized access to computer material, voyeurism, and possession of extreme pornography. In addition to his jail sentence, he received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was required to register as a sex offender for ten years.