Kyle Svara, a 26-year-old from Illinois, pleaded guilty to hacking approximately 600 Snapchat accounts belonging to women, aiming to steal and trade nude photos. His actions spanned from May 2020 to February 2021, during which he targeted nearly 4,500 individuals by impersonating Snap representatives to obtain access codes.
In a Boston federal court, Svara admitted to using social engineering techniques to access at least 59 accounts without consent. He was found to have traded the stolen images on various online platforms, promoting his services to potential clients, including a former university track coach, Steve Waithe. Waithe, who was convicted of sextortion, had Svara hack accounts of Northeastern University students and athletes.
Currently, Svara faces multiple charges, including aggravated identity theft, which carries a minimum of two years in prison, and wire fraud, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years. His sentencing is set to take place in federal court, with further investigations revealing his false claims regarding knowledge of hacking and child pornography.