A father-of-three has been arrested for hacking into hundreds of webcams so he could spy on women undressing and having sex.
Christopher Taylor, 60, tricked as many as 772 people from across the world into unwittingly relinquishing control of their webcams so he could secretly monitor their private lives.
Taylor Tricked Victims with Phony Link on Porn Websites
He used the malware to log onto victims' computer devices while they ate, studied and did yoga. Police believe 47 women were engaging in sexual activity with their partner were secretly watched by Taylor from his laptop at his home in Wigan, England, as reported by Manchester Evening News.
He was caught after staff at Georgia Institute of Technology, in the United States, tipped off the FBI when the malware was found on the laptop of a student at the university's aerospace laboratory.
The malware was flagged by the college's sophisticated spyware systems and the FBI were alerted. When police raided his home in 2016, Taylor - a full-time carer for his wife - told officers: "It's just what I've been meddling with on the computer."
An investigation revealed that Taylor had also deleted thousands of files before he was arrested. Taylor lured in his victims with a phony link he placed on porn sites, which, when clicked, would allow him full access to their laptop's function, including the webcam.
Taylor Saved Recordings for His Own 'Sexual Gratification,' Also Had Bestiality Content
At Bolton Crown Court today (Tuesday), he was jailed for 14 months. The court heard that after hacking the devices, Taylor made recordings of dozens of his oblivious victims for his own "sexual gratification".
Between 2010 and 2016, he amassed 80,000 images and videos. Officers also discovered a total of 82 bestiality images and videos, including one depicting a woman having sex with a dog, saved to his pen drive.
American law enforcement officials had asked for him to be extradited to the US to face trial for wire fraud and computer fraud but their request was rejected after a London court ruled it would ''negatively impact'' Taylor's ailing wife. Police bought charges against him at the end of last year, nearly seven years after the initial investigation.
Taylor has previously pleaded guilty to securing unauthorised access to computer material and voyeurism. He also admitted possession of extreme pornography over obscene images found on his devices.
Judge Martin Walsh said he had considered suspending Taylor's sentence due to the impact sending him to prison may have upon his wife. However, he said that the "gravity" of the offences meant "only an immediate sentence of imprisonment can be justified".
