Super Bowl Porn Hacker Admits to X-Rated Prank

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on October 21, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Tucson resident Frank Tanori Gonzalez has admitted to being the Super Bowl porn hacker, according to prosecutors in Pima County, Ariz.

Gonzalez interrupted the 2009 Super Bowl broadcast with a 37-second clip of the porn film Wild Cherries 5. Thousands of Comcast viewers witnessed the x-rated video footage, which aired with just 3 minutes left on the clock.

The 39-year-old Cox Communications employee pleaded guilty to 2 counts of computer tampering. He will serve 3 years probation and pay a $1,000 fine.

Turns out that Frank Gonzalez worked as a liaison between Cox and Comcast. The local station airing the game first sends its signal to Cox, reports the Arizona Daily Star. Cox then sends the signal to Comcast.

The Super Bowl porn hacker improperly accessed that system, and aired the clip.

Comcast offered a $10 credit to its 80,000 local subscribers as a result of these actions. Though it could have sought restitution from Gonzalez, prosecutors told the Associated Press that the company has not.

Restitution is a criminal remedy and often forms part of a criminal sentence. It is designed to replace property--both money and physical--that has been damaged or lost as a result of a crime.

Though the company did not request restitution, it can still recover the full amount of the $10 credits from Frank Gonzalez. A guilty plea can be used in civil court to prove the facts underlying the crime. Comcast can use the plea agreement and sue the Super Bowl hacker for economic damages.

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