A Northern Ireland man has been arrested for computer invasion, more commonly known as hacking, after allegedly harassing teenage girls and young women over a period of several years. He is facing charges in Florida stemming from a long-term attack on an Orlando teen.
Investigators say Patrick Connolly and another man, both of whom worked as contractors at a United States military base in Iraq, victimized approximately 4,000 females. The other man was convicted of child pornography charges last year and sentenced to 110 years in prison after police found over one million pornographic images in his possession. Additionally, he gave police information related to Connolly's involvement, as the two allegedly "shared" girls as part of the operation.
Law enforcement officials say that the pair remotely hacked into the computers of females, mostly girls in their teens. From there, the men would peruse their files and monitor their typing, in addition to contacting the girls directly. Police say the men forced the girls to provide them with explicit photographs and videos. The men told the girls that if they refused to comply, they would take various steps against the girls, such as sending photos to a girl's grandmother or harming another girl's sister. Connolly even apparently traveled to Florida in 2004, showing up at the teen's place of work.
Connolly, who is 36, was arrested at the Atlanta airport and has been extradited to Florida to face charges. The Orlando victim was first contacted by Connolly in 2002, when she was 14 years old, and the harassment has continued, police allege. In addition to the workplace incident, Connolly also tried to persuade the girl to accompany him to Universal Studios on a separate occasion.
Florida criminal defense lawyers are finding that sex crimes relating to internet usage are increasingly common and particularly advise parents to monitor their children's computer usage and to discuss online predators.
