Hunter Moore, 27, is accused of posting nude or sexually explicit photos stolen from the email accounts of victims on his website, isanyoneup.com. His alleged co-conspirator, 25-year-old Charles Evens, pleaded not guilty during an appearance before a federal judge in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.
"His role was, as the hacker, he was paid by Hunter Moore to hack into as many accounts as possible, and we have evidence that he hacked into hundreds of victim's email accounts," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Wu. "There are seven named in the indictment, but we know that there are hundreds of victim accounts that were accessed."
Charlotte Laws says her daughter was one of their victims.
"It's really horrible that they get their jollies out of victimizing people," said Laws. "It was absolutely devastating for her. She had never sent her topless picture to anyone. She's very concerned about who out there may have saved that photo. And she basically has to keep a Google Alert on her name for the rest of her life to see if that photo surfaces again."
Revenge porn websites are sometimes used for public humiliation of ex-girlfriends and boyfriends. In this case, prosecutors say the crimes were committed for financial gain.
The 15-count indictment details numerous transactions between Evens and Moore over several months. Prosecutors say Moore paid Evens around $5,000 for photos he posted on his website.
If convicted on all counts, the two men could be sentenced to a maximum of 42 years in prison.
"The operator of the website, Hunter Moore, had to rely on criminal conduct to get to these pictures. Law enforcement is really cracking down on these revenge porn websites," said Wu.
Moore remains in custody in Northern California. Evens is free on bail and is scheduled to go on trial in late March.
