A former NFL and University of Michigan assistant football coach hacked into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes in search of intimate photos and videos, The Guardianreported. According to an indictment filed in a federal court in Detroit on Thursday, Matt Weiss was charged with 14 counts of unauthorized computer access and 10 counts of identity theft. Between 2015 and 2023, Weiss, who worked for the Baltimore Ravens before starting his university gig in 2021, gained access to databases of over 100 colleges and universities that operated via a third-party vendor. The 42-year-old was able to access the social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 athletes. “Weiss primarily targeted female college athletes,” the indictment said. “He researched and targeted these women based on their school affiliation, athletic history, and physical characteristics. His goal was to obtain private photographs and videos never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners.” When Weiss was canned in 2023, he had said that he was cooperating and was looking “forward to the matter being resolved” and his initial court appearance on the charges was not determined. “Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens,” Julie Beck, the acting US attorney in Detroit, said of the indictment.
