Several months after Brooklyn resident Bryan Neilon had his $3,000 MacBook stolen last November, he remembered that he had installed free anti-crime software that allowed him to track activity on the computer. On the one hand, this meant he could go to the police knowing the street where his stolen computer was located—on the other hand, it meant that he was forced to see some very creepy things on his way to getting that location: "He was using my computer to look at porn...It was really unnerving that my Web cam was taking pictures of him and he’s looking at porn,” Neilon told the Post.
Neilon told them the thief had stolen his computer—along with guitars, credit cards, a passport and Social Security card—from his apartment on Pacific Street in Crown Heights. Last month, he was sent an email reminder about renewing his subscription to Prey, the program which gives you reports on your computer's activity (including GPS, screenshots, open programs, and wireless information).
In addition to the porn, Neilon said the new owner was using the computer to look "up real estate in Buffalo and how to get a Bangladeshi passport,’’ Neilon said. “He was looking up someone’s school grades in Bangladesh. She was failing three classes." Neilon was able to pinpoint that the computer was somewhere on Crescent Street in Crown Heights, but it took until last Friday for police to figure out exactly which building.
They confronted the man who had it, who claimed he’d been given the computer by his 14-year-old nephew, who paid $500 for it on the street. The suspect gave the computer back, apologized, and wasn't arrested or charged.
