Hacker Sentenced to Prison for Harassing Singer

A woman, Devon Townsend, was sentenced on February 20, 2008 for two years because she stalked Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park. She used her office computer at Sandia National Laboratories to find Bennington's location and to torment him and his wife, Talinda.

Devon Townsend, however, has been given 60 days to surrender to a minimum-security prison, situated at Phoenix where she would also receive mental health medication. Further, she is supposed to pay fines amounting up to $250,000 on each count.

US Assistant Attorney, Fred Federici, said that Judge Johnson make it quite clear that anybody who stalks another person, harasses, or terrorizes him/her has to bear the price for it, and that price is to stay in federal jail, as reported by Icsun on February 20, 2008.

Townsend admitted guilt in the court after being charged of stalking, illegally accessing protected communications, and committing unlawful fixation and trafficking of sound recordings of musical performances. She used her work computer to access the Bennington couple's private information during January-November 2006.

From plea consent, it is apparent that Townsend managed to access Benningtons' family photos, knew details regarding a new house they purchased, and information about their travel plans. She also accessed Benningtons' correspondence with Warner Brothers Records and business attorney of Linkin Park, including a copy of a recording contract with the band and also a copy of the cheque that the recording company made to Bennington.

Townsend also illegally accessed the Benningtons' mobile phone accounts over the Internet, and downloaded from them some digital pictures and intercepted voice messages. Townsend broke into e-mails of Talinda and once the playboy model and sent threats to her.

Once Townsend herself accepted that when Chester Bennington had been in Arizona, she journeyed to the place only to try and see him. There she intercepted Bennington's voice mails in attempts to find out where he planned his lunch or dinner.

According to court documents, investigators found posters of Linkin Park, band memorabilia with autographs, photos of Townsend together with Chester Bennington, and other things in Townsend's Albuquerque home.

Related article: Hacker & Virus in MySpace

» SPAMfighter News - 2/25/2008