Zoom user hacks into Jefferson District Court proceedings to play sexually explicit video
Several virtual court proceedings were disrupted throughout Wednesday when an unauthorized user shared sexually explicit video over Zoom. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident and has requested video to be turned over to its IT department.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lt. Col. Carl Yates said the hacker accessed a Zoom link used for hearings in Jefferson County District Court and began streaming into several courtrooms, each under a false name.
No email address was registered for these names, and an early investigation shows the user used a VPN to hide their real location. It is unclear how the user gained access to the Zoom link, Yates said.
Court personnel recognized the disturbance quickly after the inappropriate content began playing and cut the Zoom feed for all proceedings.
"This is not just a prank that we can all laugh at," Yates said. "It is a serious matter."
Yates said this kind of disturbance greatly hinders court proceedings and disrespects the time and resources of attorneys, court personnel, and people who are participants in the hearings.
"It doesn't prevent anything, but it stops everything in motion," Yates said.
In a statement, Chief Jefferson District Judge Jessica Moore said she hopes the perpetrator will be identified by law enforcement and held accountable for their "outrageous conduct."
"The bottom line is that anytime anyone does anything to disrupt the proceedings or disrespect the legal process, they should expect to be held accountable," Moore said.
After being heavily leaned on during the COVID-19 pandemic, the remote court system has continued to be utilized.
"Occasional brazen stupidity is a small price to pay for ensuring the public has easy, open access to the courts," Moore said.
The sheriff's office has had previous reports of isolated instances where a virtual court proceeding was interrupted by loud noises but hasn't seen this sort of escalation.
The perpetrator could face a multitude of misdemeanors in addition to a possible felony charge for interrupting a court proceeding.
Yates said the sheriff's office would like to work with the court to see how this type of disturbance can be prevented in the future.
"We'd like to be able to close the door on people being able to do this," Yates said.
Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jefferson County District Court sees hack of virtual system
