A 30-year-old St. Petersburg man is facing an aggravated stalking charge after investigators say he hacked into a former partner's home security camera to spy on her, accessed her social media account without permission, and threatened to shoot her and one of her partners. Kyre Wright was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Wednesday following the arrest.
Wright allegedly repeatedly harassed the woman, who had been in an on-and-off relationship with him for about eight years. Investigators say he went beyond simple harassment, allegedly accessing a security camera installed inside the victim's apartment and using it to monitor her movements without her knowledge.
Threats Allegedly Made Over Facebook Messenger
Wright allegedly sent a Facebook Messenger message threatening to shoot the victim and one of her partners.
The affidavit also alleges Wright posted a nude photograph of the victim to Instagram. Wright also said in text messages that he could see inside the victim's apartment, a statement investigators point to as evidence that he had compromised the camera.
The alleged camera access sits within a broader security concern: the Federal Trade Commission warns that internet-connected cameras can be vulnerable to digital snooping. In a separate case involving Ring, the FTC alleged that weak privacy and security protections let hackers take control of customers’ accounts, cameras and videos; the company agreed to establish a security program. The case involved a company’s handling of customer data, not allegations like those in Wright’s case, but it illustrates the privacy risks posed by connected cameras. The FTC’s Ring case addressed those risks.
Arrest and Charge
The St. Petersburg Police Department arrested Wright and filed the aggravated stalking charge.
Florida law addresses aggravated stalking. The Florida Senate's statute describes conduct that causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.
Florida’s stalking statute expressly includes unauthorized access—or attempted access—to another person’s online accounts or internet-connected home electronic systems in its definition of cyberstalking, when the conduct causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose. Aggravated stalking additionally requires repeated, willful and malicious stalking or cyberstalking and a credible threat.
The identities of the victim and her partner have not been released.
