Actor Accused of Hacking Into Audition Lists

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.apbonline.com/newscenter/breakingnews/2000/12/11/acthack1211_01.html

By Joe Beaird
Dec. 11, 2000

LOS ANGELES (APBnews.com) -- A 21-year-old aspiring actor is charged
with computer fraud and theft for allegedly hacking into a Hollywood
talent agency's Web site, stealing private audition listings and
reselling them on the Internet.

Chad Horton, 21, and Valerie R. Fee, 58, a Manhattan Beach stage
mother, are each charged with grand theft and receiving stolen
property. But only Horton, a Macon, Ga., native, is charged with
computer fraud for allegedly hacking into Hollywood's Breakdown
Corp.'s computer system.

The two have pleaded innocent to all charges in Los Angeles Superior
Court on Thursday. Fee was freed on her own recognizance, while
Horton's bail was set at $25,000. Their next hearing date is scheduled
for Dec. 21.

"This case was filed together and could be handled together," said
Jonathan Fairtlough, the Los Angeles County deputy district attorney
prosecuting the case. "There is a nexus between them."

Charged with reselling stolen copies

Breakdown Corp. assembles a weekly list of all productions looking for
actors and a rough description of what casting directors are seeking.
The copyrighted lists are then sold to talent agents, but not directly
to actors.

Horton and Fee are charged with reselling stolen copies of the casting
lists, known as "breakdowns," at a discount to other actors they met
through Internet chat and discussion groups.

The suspects have aliases: Horton is also known as Patrick James, and
Fee as "Juliebaby," prosecutors said.

List sold over Internet

The scheme came to light when Fee allegedly sold a copy of the casting
list via the Internet to the head of Breakdown's New York office, Los
Angeles County district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.

The investigation was carried out by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's
Department and the county district attorney's High-Technology Analysis
and Litigation Team. Horton was arrested Dec. 5 after he got off a
plane in Los Angeles.

ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".