Back in June, HRB told you about a Philadelphia TV news anchor who was suspended by the station and under investigation by the FBI for hacking into the private e-mail of his former co-anchor. The anchor was fired, arrested and charged with e-mail snooping. Now he’s received his sentence for the crime.
Former KYW-TV anchor Larry Mendte’s sentence consists of six months of electronically monitored house arrest, three years probation, 250 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine.
The judge also ordered Mendte to stay away from his former co-anchor, Alycia Lane, and continue psychological counseling. The court called for monitoring of his personal computer by federal authorities so he can’t install software or hardware that enable him to read another person’s e-mail.
Mendte hacked into Lane’s e-mails starting in March 2006 and continued to do so after Lane was fired by the station in January. Among the 500 e-mails Mendte read just this year were confidential ones with Lane’s lawyers.
Intercepting e-mail is a crime under the federal Wiretap Act. It’s no different than illegally tapping someone’s phone.
Did the punishment fit the crime in this case? Let us know in the Comments Box below.
