The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a State Department employee working at the US Embassy in London was arrested at the Atlanta International Airport last week, after allegedly hacking into hundreds of young women’s computers, stealing explicit photos, and then attempting to use those private nudes as blackmail.

According to an affidavit from the case, the Department of State’s security specialists found an excel spreadsheet containing what appeared to be the email addresses and passwords of approximately 250 alleged victims on the man’s work computer—several of which belonged to women from the same sorority at a college in Indiana. At least one of the alleged victims was not yet 18.

The married (for now) father and stolen naked photo enthusiast, Michael C. Ford, allegedly posed as a Google employee and a talent scout (among other guises) in order to swipe the young women’s passwords, granting him access to the girls’ iCloud, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Once in, he’d allegedly threaten to post the photos online should the girl either refuse to comply with his demands for more illicit material or try to go to the police.

Ford’s charming exchanges with the girls allegedly included the following:

  • I want you to video girls in the changing room. If you don’t, I send your details and pictures to everyone.
  • What do you say? Looks like you’ve made up your mind. Get ready for my email and post to go out tomorrow morning. Enjoy!
  • Finally, I found you! What do you think? Nice ass.

And when asked how he got the photos in the first place:

  • I’m a wizard, I have lots. Did you like it?

A federal prosecutor accused the currently incarcerated wizard of causing “emotional torment” to hundreds of women. He is scheduled to have his first hearing in June.

[AJC // h/t Daily Mail]


Contact the author at ashley@gawker.com. Image via AP.