Hand Student Conspires With YouTube Zoom-Bomber In NY: Cops

MADISON, CT — A Madison teen was arrested and charged with computer crimes after he "intentionally" disrupted a school Zoom online classroom by providing access to the class to a "Zoom-bomber" who used "obscene language and gestures," police said.

Madison police said they found the Daniel Hand High School student and charged him with fifth-degree computer crime, conspiracy to commit fifth-degree computer crime and breach of peace.

Here's how this works: a Zoom disrupter on YouTube with 2.5 million followers has someone in a Zoom class send him the link and then he gets into the class and disrupts it. But in a way that Madison Police Capt. Race told Patch is "beyond crude and obscene and disruptive."

"If you walked past a classroom and a teacher was being treated this way, being interrupted in class with screaming, obscene comments about all sorts of things, some crude, some rude, some obnoxious, face-to-face, it would be absolutely arrest-able."

Race said that in this case, a student at Hand who follows the YouTuber, gave him a link to his Zoom class. The Zoom-bomber is in New York. He said the two conspired and then the person in New York went into the class and began "an unbelievable level of disrespect."

"He got in through this kid in Madison," Race said. The boy was tracked down and police issued him a summons and he has a"promise to appear" in court, once court is again open.

But Race said Madison police are not stopping here. He said police now know that people who follow this Zoom-bomber on YouTube "send in these links to gain access." He said detectives plan to file a cyber crimes complaint in New York though the actual crime was committed in Madison when the boy handed over the link.

Race said Madison investigators will try and apply for a warrant in New York. In the meantime, Madison Police are hearing from other Connecticut police departments, including Greenwich just today.

Race said, "Zoom is getting blasted all over the media because it is very insecure."

Last week, the FBI issued a warning about the potential for widespread disruption to Zoom-classes.

"As large numbers of people turn to video-teleconferencing platforms to stay connected in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis," reports of Zoom-bombing are "emerging nationwide."

The FBI said it has received many reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language. The FBI Boston Division reported the following incidents:

• In late March 2020, a Massachusetts-based high school reported that while a teacher was conducting an online class using the teleconferencing software Zoom, an unidentified individual(s) dialed into the classroom. This individual yelled a profanity and then shouted the teacher’s home address in the middle of instruction.
• A second Massachusetts-based school reported a Zoom meeting being accessed by an unidentified individual. In this incident, the individual was visible on the video camera and displayed swastika tattoos.

"As many parents are aware, these types of incidents have resulted in the suspension of Zoom-based classes in Madison and other towns," police said.

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