MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – A formal Mount Laurel police officer who was accused of hacking into the social media accounts of a woman in Evesham and distributing her nude photos, is facing even more charges this week.
Ayron Taylor, 22, was charged in October for his actions against one woman but is now facing more charges after police learned he victimized several other women the same way.
“Taylor faces 87 new charges that accuse him of illegally accessing the social media and email accounts of 18 additional women and, in several instances, distributing their nude photos to people on their contact lists,” Evesham Township Police Chief Walt Miller said today. “The complaints allege 28 counts of second-degree crimes that include Computer Criminal Activity and Distribution of Child Pornography, which was brought against him because some of the photos he accessed were taken before the victims became legal adults. The remaining 59 counts are third-degree charges, including Elements of Computer Theft and other cyber-related crimes.”
According to police, the investigation began in September after the initial victim contacted Evesham Township police to report that her Snapchat and Facebook accounts had been hacked by an unknown person who then sent nude photos she had taken of herself to her Snapchat contacts, messaged them to her Facebook friends, and posted them on her Facebook wall.
Police soon learned that all of the victims had a student email account through Rowan College at Burlington County.
Detectives with the Burlington County Prosecutor’s office determined that Taylor illegally accessed more than 2,800 RCBC email accounts. Some of this activity occurred while he was on duty and sitting in his patrol car, utilizing personal electronic devices.
“This is a repugnant cyber intrusion of privacy against the college and, especially, many of our students. Rowan College at Burlington County immediately strengthened network security upon the first report of the incident,” Burlington County College President Dr. Michael A. Cioce said. “Although there was no systemic failure of the college’s technology infrastructure, there is always an opportunity for stronger security measures. The college’s Office of Student Support can provide assistance to victims who are impacted.”
Taylor became a full-time Mount Laurel Police Department officer after graduating from the police academy in October 2021. The department suspended him following the initial charges and began measures to terminate his employment. He has since resigned from the force.
Individuals who have an RCBC email account and suspect that their private photos were shared without authorization are asked to contact investigators at bcpohtc@co.burlington.nj.us.
Taylor will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Remy, supervisor of the BCPO Insurance Fraud Unit.