Overview
A 26-year-old man from Illinois has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging scheme to gain access to Snapchat accounts and steal intimate images. Prosecutors say the defendant, identified as Kyle Svara, admitted to phishing security codes from a large group of women and using those codes to bypass account protections, allowing him to download nude and semi-nude photographs which he then retained, marketed or exchanged online.
How the scheme operated
According to the charges, between May 2020 and February 2021 Svara used social engineering tactics and other methods to collect login information for users of the Snap-operated social media platform. Prosecutors allege he sent messages purporting to be from Snapchat support and asked recipients to provide security codes, which allowed him to circumvent authentication checks.
Prosecutors state Svara received security codes from 571 women. Those codes enabled him to access the accounts of at least 59 women and download nude or semi-nude photos. Charging documents further allege that Svara advertised his ability to hack Snapchat accounts on Reddit and other online forums, offering content "for you or trade."
Connection to an earlier prosecution
The case emerged from an earlier prosecution of a former Northeastern University track-and-field coach, and prosecutors say Svara was hired in 2020 by that coach, Steve Waithe, to compromise the accounts of women the coach had worked with or had personal relationships with. Prosecutors say the coach paid Svara $50 for each hacked account.
Waithe was later sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for schemes that prosecutors said involved duping young women into sending nude photos or stealing such images from them. Prosecutors previously stated that Waithe's scheme targeted 56 women nationally.
Legal outcome and next steps
Svara pleaded guilty to charges that include computer fraud and aggravated identity theft. Under the terms of his plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to recommend a three-year prison sentence at his May 18 sentencing hearing. Svara's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
Key points
- Prosecutors say the defendant used social engineering to obtain security codes from 571 women and accessed at least 59 Snapchat accounts to download nude or semi-nude images - sectors affected include technology platforms and online privacy.
- The matter is tied to an earlier prosecution of a former collegiate coach who allegedly paid the hacker to target women he coached or knew; this implicates legal and criminal-justice sectors.
- A plea agreement includes a recommendation by prosecutors for a three-year prison sentence, with sentencing scheduled for May 18 - this touches the judicial process and sentencing outcomes.
Risks and uncertainties
- The full scope of distribution of the stolen images and who may have received them remains unclear, representing a privacy and reputational risk for victims and a security concern for platforms that host user content.
- There is uncertainty around the final sentence, as prosecutors will only recommend three years; the court will impose the actual penalty on May 18.
- It is not fully known whether additional victims or further related activity exist beyond the numbers cited by prosecutors, which could affect both legal proceedings and platform liability considerations.
Closing
The guilty plea documents and the linkage to the earlier prosecution of a former coach provide authorities with a clearer picture of the alleged scheme that targeted users of a popular social media platform. The court will address sentencing in May, and prosecutors have signaled their recommendation for a three-year term.