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Fullerton man pleads guilty to installing spyware on women's computers
Prosecutors says Harwell installed "CamCapture" software without the women's consent. The software enabled him to record live and still images from a remote computer.
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Fullerton man pleads guilty to installing spyware on women's computers
A court convicted a 21-year-old man from Fullerton Friday on charges that he’d illegally installed spyware on six women’s computers without their consent.
The man reportedly used the spyware to access live and still images of the women for his own titillation.
The Orange County District Attorney says the computer science student, Trevor Harwell, pleaded guilty to six felony counts of computer access and fraud.
Prosecutors say Harwell worked at a Brea-based computer technical services and repair shop. They say he met the six victims through friends and his church, and gained access to their computers under the pretense of providing computer help.
Prosecutors say Harwell illegally accessed the six victims' computers to install "CamCapture" software, which enabled him to record live and still images from a remote computer. He recorded videos and photographs of each of his victims in various states of undress without their knowledge.
Two of the victims noticed that the computer camera blinked irregularly and took it to be repaired. That’s when techs spotted the CamCapture.
A judge sentenced Harwell to one year in the Anaheim City Jail, five years of formal probation, and a sex offender treatment program.
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He may also be required to register as a sex offender. The court plans to decide that before he completes probation.
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