Snapchat Hacking: Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nude Photos of Hundreds of Women
- An Illinois man, Kyle Svara, 26, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, to federal charges related to hacking Snapchat accounts and stealing nude photos from nearly 600...
- Svara pleaded guilty to charges including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in federal court in Boston.
- “He has taken full responsibility for his actions to his family and close friends, and today's plea was a significant relief as it allowed him to finally accept...
Illinois Man Admits to Hacking Snapchat Accounts, Stealing Nude Photos
An Illinois man, Kyle Svara, 26, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, , to federal charges related to hacking Snapchat accounts and stealing nude photos from nearly 600 women. The case originated from a prior prosecution involving a former Northeastern University track-and-field coach who had hired Svara to compromise the accounts of student athletes and other women.
Svara pleaded guilty to charges including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in federal court in Boston. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a three-year prison sentence at his sentencing on .
“He has taken full responsibility for his actions to his family and close friends, and today’s plea was a significant relief as it allowed him to finally accept responsibility publicly,” said Todd Pugh, Svara’s lawyer, in a statement.
According to prosecutors, Svara engaged in a phishing scheme from to , using social engineering tactics to collect login information from women on Snapchat. He circumvented the platform’s security measures by posing as Snapchat support and requesting security codes.
The scheme resulted in Svara obtaining security codes from 571 women, allowing him to access the accounts of at least 59 and download nude or semi-nude photos, prosecutors said. He then advertised his services on Reddit and other online forums, offering to hack Snapchat accounts and provide content “for you or trade.”
The investigation revealed that Svara was hired in 2020 by Steve Waithe, the former Northeastern University coach, to hack the accounts of women Waithe had coached or had personal relationships with, for a payment of $50 per account. Waithe was previously sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for inducing young women to send him nude photos or for stealing such images. Prosecutors stated at the time that Waithe targeted 56 women nationally.
The case highlights the vulnerability of online accounts to phishing attacks and the potential for misuse of personal images. Svara’s guilty plea marks a significant step in holding him accountable for his actions, while the earlier sentencing of Steve Waithe underscores the consequences for those who exploit others for illicit purposes.