Hearing for Twitter hack suspect Zoom-bombed by porn, rap music

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Unknown users “Zoom-bombed” the Wednesday bond hearing of the Florida teenager accused of hacking a number of high-profile Twitter accounts, interrupting the online hearing with pornography and rap.

Hillsborough County, Fla., Judge Christopher C. Nash was forced to pause the hearing for Graham Ivan Clark when the disruptions began, according to The Associated Press. As soon as Nash resumed the hearings, the disruptions began again. The names of the users disrupting the hearing were disguised.

Nash eventually ruled against reducing Clark’s $725,000 bail, the AP reported.

Clark, 17, is alleged to have hacked the accounts of several politicians, celebrities and organizations, including former Vice President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as well as Apple and Uber. Forty-five accounts were used to solicit Bitcoin payments on July 15, although the company has said up to 130 accounts were compromised.

Clark has been charged with 17 counts of communications fraud; 11 counts of fraudulent use of personal information; one count of unauthorized access of electronic devices; and one count of organized fraud of over $5,000. Prosecutors called for Clark to be held on $30 million bail, $1 million for each of the charges he faces.

Clark’s lawyer, David Weisbrok, meanwhile, told the court it would be unreasonable to set bail at more than six times the amount his client is accused of stealing, according to the AP.

The state’s attorney’s office, which is prosecuting Clark as an adult, has said Clark must prove any money he produces for bail was obtained through legal means. His attorneys have said Clark’s assets include $3 million in Bitcoin.

Prosecutors have also charged two other men in the hack, Mason Shepperd of the U.K. and Nima Fazeli of Orlando. They have alleged Clark was the mastermind behind the scheme.

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