The digital age has transformed how law enforcement agencies gather evidence. In some instances, law enforcement officers and agents may be investigating one crime when they find evidence of other crimes on a suspect's devices.

Consider the example of a former Jacksonville Jaguars contractor whom the FBI investigated for hacking the team's Jumbotron. During their raid, FBI agents also found material on the suspect's devices that resulted in a 220-year prison sentence for child pornography crimes and other crimes unrelated to hacking a sports stadium screen.

Don't try to explain incriminating evidence on your devices when facing arrest or charges. You need to hire attorneys to defend you in these circumstances.

The LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can help you avoid making harmful statements to police, prosecutors, or anyone else involved in your case. Our understanding of the law can also help if police or prosecutors try to use illegally obtained evidence against you. Learn more by contacting us online today or calling us at 888-535-3686.

How Hacking the Jumbotron Resulted in a 220-Year Prison Sentence

The following breakdown explains how a former Jacksonville Jaguars employee accidentally led law enforcement to evidence, resulting in a sentence of more than two centuries in prison:

• Samuel Arthur Thompson reportedly started working for the Jaguars in 2013. Thompson served as a contractor assisting with the design, installation, and operation of the Jumbotron at EverBank Stadium. Thompson apparently didn't let the team know he had been convicted of sodomizing a minor in Alabama in 1998 and was required to register as a sex offender.
• The Jaguars elected not to renew Thompson's contract in 2018 after learning of his prior conviction. While he still had access to the team's facilities, Thompson reportedly installed remote access software on a separate server in the team's server room.
• Thompson apparently used the software to interfere with the Jumbotron during three games in 2018. Upon realizing someone was hacking the screen, the Jaguars isolated the server on its network, allowing them to identify the IP address of a user when they accessed the server again.
• The Jaguars provided the FBI with the IP address. The FBI obtained a federal search warrant and raided Thompson's residence.
• The FBI was only looking for evidence indicating Thompson was responsible for hacking the Jumbotron. However, the FBI also discovered thousands of images and hundreds of videos consisting of child sex abuse material (CSAM) and similar content. The FBI also seized a firearm, which Thompson could not legally own.

The FBI's discovery may not have been related to the original purpose of the warrant. Regardless, it led to Thompson, 53, being sentenced to 220 years in prison on various charges, including producing, receiving, and possessing CSAM.

Digital Evidence Can Result in New Charges

Although the above technically occurred in Florida, the case involved federal charges. These types of cases can occur anywhere, including Pennsylvania. If law enforcement officers or investigators have grounds to access someone's digital devices looking for evidence of one crime, they may find evidence of others.

Having a proper defense is critical if this happens to you. Knowledgeable attorneys with the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team are prepared to offer a defense tailored to your needs in the digital age. Get started today by calling us at 888-535-3686 or completing and submitting our online contact form.