Pair facing 10 years jail for allegedly hacking student’s Facebook and deleting his uni enrolment data
A YOUNG man and woman who allegedly deleted a student’s university enrolment in five subjects and hacked his Facebook and email accounts face up to a decade in jail if convicted of the cybercrime.
A YOUNG man and woman who allegedly deleted a student’s university enrolment in five subjects and hacked his Facebook and email accounts face up to a decade in jail if convicted of the cybercrime.
Jake Anthony Parker Davis, 21, of Port Noarlunga South, and Sarah Ruqayyah Salah, 22, of Melrose Park, have pleaded not guilty to eight counts each of unauthorised modification of computer data.
The offence carries a maximum 10-year jail term and the charges come amid a wave of cyber crimes going through the courts as the law tries to keep up with sweeping technological advances.
Court documents obtained by The Advertiser allege that between August 7 and 11 last year, Davis and Salah altered the Flinders University online password of Jamie Owen Kirkpatrick and deleted him from five subjects.
Prosecutors allege they also hacked into Mr Kirkpatrick’s Facebook page, “altered and added” data in an attempt to “cause harm or inconvenience to him”, and also changed his password.
They further allege Davis, believed to be a fellow Flinders University student, and Salah hacked into two of Mr Kirkpatrick’s Hotmail accounts, changed the passwords and marked data for deletion.
For prosecutors to secure convictions against Davis and Salah, they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they directly or indirectly caused the data modifications.
They must also prove the pair was aware the modification was unauthorised and intended to impair access, reliability, security or operation of any of the data stored in Mr Kirkpatrick’s accounts.
Lawyer and Tindall Gask Bentley senior associate Rachael Shaw declined to comment specifically on the case because it was before the courts but, speaking generally, said it was important that potential hackers realised they faced jail.
She said, however, that it was often difficult for prosecutors to prove such charges.
“It can be very hard with computer data to prove who did it,” she said.
“It is difficult because users can have IP addresses interstate or overseas, which can also complicate in which jurisdiction the matter should be pursued, and then it has to be proven the accused committed the offence when it can be claimed another person had access to their computer.”
A Flinders spokeswoman said the university had assisted police with the investigation into the alleged cyber crimes of Davis and Salah.
“It is our understanding that this matter was instigated by the South Australian police and that the accused are private citizens,” she said.
“There is no evidence that any of the university’s information systems have been breached.”
Lawyers for Davis declined to comment when contacted by The Advertiser, while Salah said through her legal counsel that “I will be defending the matter”.
In August last year, vengeful hacker Aaron Leslie Powell was spared jail for damaging the computer system of his former employer, the not-for-profit Mental Illness Fellowship of SA.
Powell, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of operating a restricted access computer system and two counts of modifying its data to cause inconvenience, which caused about $10,000 damage.
His six-month jail term was suspended on condition of a two-year good-behaviour bond.
Davis and Salah will appear in the District Court for arraignment on Monday.
Originally published as Pair facing 10 years jail for allegedly hacking student’s Facebook and deleting his uni enrolment data
