PHILADELPHIA, PA — United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Reginald Adams, also known as “Reggie Adams,” 25, of Chambersburg, PA, received a sentence of 22 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Senior United States District Court Judge Michael Baylson delivered the sentence on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Adams was convicted of hacking into numerous social media accounts and distributing the victims’ private photographs.
On January 30, 2024, Adams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. His illicit activities spanned from May 2020 to August 2021. During this period, Adams targeted at least 20 female victims, many of whom he knew from high school. He used deceptive tactics to gain access to their Snapchat accounts. Specifically, he sent text messages from anonymized numbers, posing as Snapchat official staff, and tricked the victims into providing their account security codes.
Once Adams obtained the security codes, he logged into the victims’ accounts, reset the passwords, and accessed the “My Eyes Only” section to locate private, sexually explicit photographs. He then shared these private photos with the victims’ contacts, including friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. In some cases, he posted the victims’ photos on public websites, accompanied by their contact information, leading to unsolicited messages from strangers.
Adams also extorted some victims by promising to pay for their photos. After receiving the photos, he used them to manipulate and control the victims, coercing them into sending more images.
“It’s truly hard to understand why someone would be this cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “What’s crystal clear, though, is that Reginald Adams respects the law as little as he respects women. Again and again, he deliberately targeted, tricked, and took the most personal of photos from his victims, posting them online, violating their privacy, and causing significant emotional distress. We and our partners at the FBI take crimes like this incredibly seriously, and we’re committed to seeking justice for victims and accountability for cyber predators like Adams.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe. The authorities emphasized their commitment to protecting victims and holding cybercriminals accountable for their actions.
This sentencing highlights the serious consequences of cybercrimes and the importance of safeguarding personal information online. Victims of such violations often suffer significant emotional distress and privacy breaches. Law enforcement agencies continue to prioritize these cases to ensure justice and deter future cyber offenses.
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