Brit accused of spying on 772 people via webcam CCTV software tells court he'd end his life if extradited to US
- Reference: 1603813268
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/10/27/christopher_taylor_extradition_hearing/
- Source link:
Christopher Taylor, a 57-year-old labourer, appeared by video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court to contest an extradition attempt by the US government, according to the [1]Court News UK newswire .
Taylor told District Judge Michael Fanning that both he and his wife would kill themselves if he was forcibly removed to the US.
"I'm just not coping at all," he said. "I'm having bad thoughts about ending my life. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I would never come back or I would come back in a coffin, I know I would and I know my wife wouldn't be here to stand it, I know she would end her life too, I know she would. I'm so sorry."
Brit webcam criminal snared in FBI LuminosityLink creepware sting spared prison [2]READ MORE
A US grand jury in the state of Georgia indicted Taylor, of Vicarage Road, Wigan, with computer fraud and wire fraud charges in January last year, the court was told. The Briton is accused of spying on 772 victims from 39 different countries after tricking them into installing CCTV camera management software called Cammy.
Taylor's wife, Wendy, also appeared on video link to tell the court: "I wouldn't want to live actually, I wouldn't want to be a burden on my children. If they take him over there I know he wouldn't survive it anyway so I would just take my own life… I've seen programmes on American prisons."
Her husband's spying spree ended when a female student at Atlanta's Georgia Institute of Technology was tricked into downloading Cammy onto her university laptop. Network admins were said, in court, to have spotted unusual traffic from the machine and called local police to investigate.
Taylor was said to have admitted the offences after being interviewed by Greater Manchester Police and FBI agent Roderick Coffin. They reportedly found hundreds of images of people "in various stages of undress and involved in sexual activity", as the court was told.
The extradition hearing continues.
Taylor is far from the only UK-based individual caught up in US extradition battles. Infamous WikiLeaker Julian Assange is currently [3]in the middle of his own extradition case , while former Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch is [4]also defending an attempt to see him face criminal charges on the far side of the Atlantic .
Similarly, a Londoner is to be extradited after being [5]accused in the US of laundering money from a malware gang , while in September a British internet extortionist was [6]sentenced to five years in prison following extradition and trial . ®
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[1] https://courtnewsuk.co.uk/spyware-allowed-him-to-watch-women-having-sex-around-the-world/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/14/swindon_webcam_perv_john_wood/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/09/assange_extradition_hearing_london/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/19/autonomy_founder_mike_lynchs_us/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/15/dridex_money_laundering_allegations_nca/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/22/british_dark_overlord_extortionist_jailed/
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Team America: World Police
Do foreign victims not count in the digital age then?
It's not just about local justice systems, these are crimes in other countries too - they need to have justice there should those countries decide to prosecute.
It's not pick and mix for the UK, it depends on the other countries.
Re: Team America: World Police
He's allegedly broken US computer misuse laws and the US wire fraud laws, so they would be tried in the US. So far the UK authorities have not charged him with anything as I understand it.
Re: Team America: World Police
So where is the crime committed the location of the camera or the location of the screen?
Re: Team America: World Police
The location of the person clearly
Re: Team America: World Police
In theory he could be tried in all jurisdictions but many countries will be happy for him to serve time almost anywhere and the US habit of imposing multi century sentences may render that a moot point.
Crimes were committed wherever local laws say they were, It’s quite possible that the US has the most victims within the 772.
Re: Team America: World Police
Agreed. Serves no useful purpose to extradite to the US when the crimes were committed on UK soil. This amounts to grandstanding by the US "Justice" Department.
Re: Team America: World Police
why extradite him to the US
Why not? At least they have sentences that actually mean something. If you can't do the time don't do the crime, and how about considering the victims?
Re: Team America: World Police
Indeed, I have no idea why he shouldn't be tried and jailed in the UK.
Re: Team America: World Police
Some Russians, Chinese and North Koreans have been accused of installing ransomware, spyware and malware to log internet banking passwords. If some of their victims were in their own countries is that where they should be tried?
There are gross problems with the US prison service but I do not think you have found the answer.
Re: Team America: World Police
I thought this would be the subject of the first response. As usual, the answer to your second question of why extradite him to the US is that a US citizen was a victim of a crime in the US. So US police investigated. Their legal system allows for criminals to be charged where the victim is, so they have applied for extradition.
(Slightly off-topic: perhaps some US readers can comment on this. Is this an extension of the principles about what happens in law when a victim and criminal are located in different states of the US? Is the crime generally prosecuted in the victim's state?)
And to answer your first question, I don't see why the other countries can't do the same, if their legal systems allow it, and they have suitable extradition treaties in place.
Re: Team America: World Police
Too bad Justice can decide where the crime took place? You can be virtually anywhere. Law talking guys would have a field day.
Re: Team America: World Police
He should tried in the UK (I'm assuming some of the victims were local, but even if not, it's where the crimes were committed)
But is it? If the affected computers were in the US, and the spying activity took place in the US, you could argue that it was only ordered from the UK. Even if he were jailed in the UK for voyeurism the US could argue that he should still be extradited on release to answer the computer fraud and wire fraud charges.
I do find it difficult to have much sympathy for him.
That's not a reason to stop.
There are victims here, can he give evidence from the UK? If found guilty he's extradited?
I'm not a fan of the rather one sided extradition treaty we have with the US but that's a lot of potential victims to deny justice due to a threat, which is all frankly it is at this point.
Legal Spinners
These people sound like real winners. Rather than taking the suicide angle they should stump for a reality show of some kind when they get to the US.
Well deserved
He's admitted to committing a nasty crime. Clearly not the sharpest tool in the butter knife drawer, but if he's legally competent then it's off to choky for you sir. Not a big fan of Usaian judicial overreach, but in this case i'll make an exception.
Laptop shields
It really is about time that every laptop had a little slide shield over the webcam. Not only to physically block the lens, but also disconnect the +v supply to the camera to double check that it is out of operation. Whilst at it, the same shield could disconnect the microphone.
Yeah, well, it isn't the Americans threatening your life, so go ahead and do your worst to yourself. Making threats against YOURSELF is hardly grounds for refusing an extradition.
Besides, if you feel you'd rather end it all, I suspect that means you know you're guilty and will be convicted - all the more reason to ship you overseas.
"I'll kill myself if you extradite me"
Blackmail as an extradition defense? It's novel, I suppose, but unlikely to be allowed to set a precedent.
Boo fucking hoo.
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
Why has the wife not divorced this disgusting pervert?
+ for MiguelC
Meanwhile a motorist, who killed a UK national on UK soil, is protected by the same American Government who won't take action in the US or allow extradition.
Have any US citizens ever been extradited to the UK (or anywhere) under this current Treaty?
Where's the level playing field in this game of extradition Bingo
American woman drives on the wrong side of the road in the UK and kills a motorcyclist - the USA refuses to extradite her.
British man guilty of computer misuse - America - "EXTRADITE HIM NOW!"
Team America: World Police
Will he be extradited to each of the 39 different countries (38 if we take out the UK) where his victims were?
Then why extradite him to the US?
He should tried in the UK (I'm assuming some of the victims were local, but even if not, it's where the crimes were committed)