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DETROIT (AP) — Authorities have confiscated a substantial collection of personal photos and videos from a former assistant football coach for the University of Michigan and the Baltimore Ravens, who is currently facing hacking allegations. The U.S. Justice Department has reached out to the individuals affected by these incidents.
The information was revealed in a legal document submitted Tuesday in relation to a civil lawsuit involving Matt Weiss and the university. Legal representatives for the victims included correspondence from the government following Weiss’s indictment earlier this year.
According to the indictment, Weiss reportedly accessed the social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of over 2,000 athletes, along with more than 1,300 present and former students from various institutions across the country, seeking to discover private images, predominantly of women.
The email elaborated on the findings of the investigators, detailing the extent of the material confiscated.
“Thousands of candid, intimate photographs and videos have been seized from the defendant’s electronic devices and cloud storage accounts. Many depict victims in various states of undress, while some illustrate individuals engaging in explicit sexual activities,” stated the Mega Victim Case Assistance Program of the Justice Department.
Weiss has pleaded not guilty to charges of identity theft and unauthorized computer access concerning actions that reportedly occurred between 2015 and 2023. Neither he nor his legal team has provided comments regarding the ongoing case.
At the time the alleged offenses came to light, Weiss was serving as co-offensive coordinator in 2022 for the Michigan Wolverines, who finished the season with an impressive 13-1 record and participated in the College Football Playoff. He was subsequently dismissed in 2023 amid a probe into his computer usage, having previously enjoyed a decade-long tenure with the Baltimore Ravens.
Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and former supervisor of Weiss at Michigan, expressed his shock over the allegations. John Harbaugh, coach of the Ravens and Jim’s brother, echoed this sentiment during discussions with journalists at the NFL’s annual spring meeting.
Parker Stinar, an attorney representing one of several plaintiffs in lawsuits filed against Weiss, the university, and an external technology provider, is seeking a judicial order for evidence related to the case’s circumstances. The university has refrained from commenting on these legal actions and has a designated period to issue a formal response in federal court.
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www.yahoo.com