Two former aides indicted over release of Virgin Islands delegate sex tape – The Hill

Two former aides to Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett (D) have been indicted on federal charges over the unauthorized leak of Plaskett's sex tape last year.

According to a Justice Department press release, former general counsel Juan McCullum and schedulerDorene Browne-Louis were indicted Thursday in Washington, D.C.

McCullum worked for Plaskett fromApril 2015 until June 2016 in herlegislative office in Washington, D.C. According to the statement, Browne-Louis worked in the same office from January 2015 until April 2016.

According to the press release,McCullum offered in March 2016 to take Plaskett'smalfunctioning iPhone to a local Apple store for service. The device contained lewd photos shared between Plaskett and her husband, which McCullum later distributed online using a fake Facebook account.

McCullum was charged with two counts of cyber stalking, while Browne-Louis was indicted on one count of obstructing justice. Prosecutors said Browne-Louis deleted text messages from McCullum from her phone and made false statements to investigators.

Prosecutors added that McCullum sent many of the leaked pictures and videos to Browne-Louis in emails and text messages, the latter of which she attempted to delete.

Plaskett commented on the leaks when they occurred last July, blasting the hackers for using her marriage to "besmirchme politically.

The theft and distribution of these personal images via the internet marks a new low in Virgin Islands politics. I am shocked and deeply saddened that someone would stoop to such a level as to invade my marriage and the love of my family in an attempt to besmirch me politically, Plaskett said last July.

Private photographs shared between my husband and me, as well as a private playful video of our family, including one of our children, were illegally obtained and disseminated via the internet. To say my family and I are greatly upset would be a tremendous understatement," sheadded.

"As a mother, I am outraged that one of my children was exploited in such a way. The theft and dissemination of these images via the internet is a shockingly disgusting invasion of my familys and my privacy not to mention criminal acts in violation of both territorial and federal law."

According to the Justice Department, cyber stalking carries a maximum of five years in prison, while obstruction of justice charges carry a much higher maximum sentence of 20 years.

Browne-Louis made her first court appearance today according to the release, and plead not guilty. McCullum's first appearance in court has not yet been scheduled.

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Two former aides indicted over release of Virgin Islands delegate sex tape - The Hill

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