VILLA PARK, Calif. (KNX) — A former Villa Park High School student suspected of hacking into school accounts and posting racist and homophobic messages was charged Thursday, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Aaron Ketelaar, 19, was charged with felony unauthorized computer access with a hate crime enhancement. Prosecutors alleged he hacked into school accounts to disrupt online learning and other remote activities by posting offensive content.
In December of last year, “racist photos and comments” were posted by several student Google Classroom accounts within the comments section of a few class announcements. The messages were visible by a teacher and other students, the D.A.’s office alleged.
A “video of a person wearing a skull mask, sunglasses, beanie, and headset espousing racial epithets” disrupted two other classes, prosecutors said.
O.C. Sheriff’s Department investigators and school IT workers identified Ketelaar as the suspected hacker, but prosecutors have not revealed how they believe he may have gained access to the accounts.
“No one should be subjected to the kind of racist and homophobic messages sent by these hackers under the pretense of being sent by fellow classmates,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “The anonymity of the Internet is assisting haters in finding other like-minded people to help them carry out their racist acts in the hopes that they will be able to slink away into the depths of the Internet without their true identities being revealed.”
If convicted, Ketelaar may face up to seven years in prison.
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