This photo provided by the Fullerton (Calif.) Police Department on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 shows Trevor Harwell. Police say Harwell, a Southern California computer repairman installed spyware on laptops that enabled him to snap and download photographs of women showering and undressing in their homes. (AP Photo/Fullerton (Calif.) Police Department)FULLERTON, Calif. – An Orange County computer repair tech was arrested on suspicion of installing spyware on laptops that allowed him to photograph women showering and undressing in their homes.
Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said Trevor Harwell, 20, a technician for Rezitech Inc, installed a computer program that took control of the webcam on his clients’ Mac laptops.
The software sent fake error messages telling users to “fix their internal sensor soon,” and “try putting your laptop near hot steam for several minutes to clean the sensor,” Goodrich said.
The error message prompted some victims took their laptops into the bathroom with them when they showered, the detective said.
“Once he had access, he would take photographs of the users, usually women,” Goodrich said. “Often, the female victims were undressed or changing clothes.”