‘Revenge porn’ operator to plead guilty in Los Angeles court
LOS ANGELES » The operator of a "revenge porn" website who posted stolen nude photos online has agreed to plead guilty to hacking and identity theft, according to court papers filed Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court.
Hunter Moore, 28, of Woodland, faces a sentence of two to seven years in federal prison under the agreement, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.
Moore was dubbed the "most hated man on the Internet" for posting explicit photos and information about the people portrayed in them on his now-defunct site, IsAnyoneUp.com.
The term "revenge porn" was coined because many of the images were posted by jilted lovers to get even with former partners.
Prosecutors said Moore also sought out racy content himself, enlisting a hacker to dig up nude photos from email accounts.
Photos posted between 2010 and 2012 included an "American Idol" finalist, the daughter of a major Republican donor and a woman in a wheelchair, according to a 2012 article in Rolling Stone magazine.
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Moore acknowledged in the agreement that he paid Charles Evens to hack email accounts and steal photos.
Evens, 26, of Los Angeles, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial next month. He refused to comment when contacted Wednesday.
Moore is due in court Feb. 25, although Mrozek said sentencing could be postponed until March.
Moore’s lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment.