An Illinois man has received a significant prison sentence for orchestrating a widespread hacking operation that compromised hundreds of **Snapchat** accounts. **Kyle Svara**, 26, was sentenced to 76 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. His conviction stems from a scheme that involved hacking over 750 women's Snapchat accounts to steal and distribute nude photos. ### Social Engineering Tactics Exposed Between May 2020 and February 2021, Svara targeted more than 4,500 individuals. He employed various social engineering tactics, primarily posing as a representative of **Snap Inc.** and using anonymized phone numbers to phish access codes from his victims.  *Svara phishing Snapchat access codes (Justice Department)* After successfully obtaining credentials, Svara accessed approximately 517 women's Snapchat accounts without authorization. He then downloaded nude or semi-nude photos and, disturbingly, activated two-factor authentication to lock victims out of their compromised accounts. ### Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material Further investigation revealed a more heinous aspect of Svara's activities: the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Approximately 530 images and 600 videos depicting CSAM were discovered in his **Mega** account. During initial interviews with investigators, Svara falsely denied any knowledge of Snapchat hacking or interest in CSAM. The **Justice Department** stated, "Contrary to these statements, the defendant collected, distributed and solicited CSAM." ### "Services" Advertised Online Court documents indicate that Svara actively advertised his illicit "services" online. He offered to "get into girls snap accounts" and traded stolen images, instructing potential clients to contact him via the encrypted messaging app **Kik**.  *Svara offering to hack Snapchat accounts (Justice Department)* One notable client was **Steve Waithe**, a former track and field coach at **Northeastern University**. Waithe hired Svara to hack the Snapchat accounts of students, including members of the women's track and field and soccer teams. Waithe was previously sentenced in March 2024 to five years in prison for cyber fraud, cyberstalking, and sextortion, having been found guilty of targeting at least 128 women and stealing thousands of explicit photos. In addition to his paid hacking jobs, Svara independently breached accounts belonging to numerous women in Plainfield, Illinois—including neighbors, family friends, classmates, and personal friends—as well as students at **Colby College** in Waterville, Maine.