UK Citizen Charged in Twitter Hack

A 22-year-old UK citizen, Joseph O’Connor, has been arrested in connection with his alleged role in the July 2020 Twitter hack that compromised over 130 Twitter accounts, including those belonging to politicians, celebrities, and companies.

According to court documents, O’Connor, who was arrested in Estepona, Spain by Spanish national police, is charged with multiple counts of computer intrusions, including the hack of Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat user accounts. He is also accused of cyberstalking a juvenile victim.

O’Connor faces three counts of conspiracy to intentionally access a computer without authorization and obtaining information from a protected computer; two counts of intentionally accessing a computer without authorization and obtaining information from a protected computer; one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a computer without authorization and, with the intent to extort from a person a thing of value, transmitting a communication containing a threat; one count of making extortive communications; one count of making threatening communications; and two counts of cyberstalking.

Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds for the Northern District of California, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair of the FBI San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI San Francisco Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cyber Unit; the U.S. Secret Service, San Francisco and Headquarters; and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and their REACT task force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Frentzen and Andrew Dawson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing significant assistance. The U.K.’s National Crime Agency and the Spanish National Police provided assistance in the investigation and arrest.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Cybercrime

Babatunde Aniyi Pleads Guilty to $1.5M DoD Fraud Scheme, Lagos Nige…

Oct 21, 2016

Cybercrime

Joshua David Evans, Criminal Copyright Conspiracy, Virginia 2011

Oct 25, 2011

Cybercrime

Brian P. Johnson, Computer System Hacking, LA 2023

Feb 16, 2017

Cybercrime

Keith Hancock, Voyeurism & Trespass, Waterford CT, 2022

Apr 6, 2026