Who Is Liam Burgmann? Accused Of Hacking Teen Girls For Nudes

Liam Christopher Burgmann is a former Berkeley High School student who was arrested at age 19 in August 2021 after police accused him of hacking the social-media accounts of teenage girls to obtain private nude photographs. Investigators identified at least 17 alleged victims around the San Francisco Bay Area. Prosecutors charged Burgmann with offenses including possession of child sexual abuse material, computer access and fraud, identity theft and distributing private intimate images.

Liam Burgmann Hacking Allegations

Berkeley High School Reported Students’ Social Media Accounts Had Been Hacked. The investigation began after Berkeley High officials contacted police on May 10, 2021, reporting that several female students had discovered someone was accessing their social-media accounts while apparently searching for private nude photographs. The FBI later assisted Berkeley police with the investigation. [CBS San Francisco]

Police Accused Burgmann Of Hacking At Least 17 Bay Area Victims. Investigators eventually identified 17 alleged victims connected to public and private schools in Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties. KTVU reported that at least nine of the alleged victims attended Berkeley High School, where Burgmann had also been a student. [KTVU]

Investigators Linked Burgmann To Hacked Snapchat Accounts Through An IP Address. A probable-cause document said investigators traced activity involving hacked Snapchat accounts to an internet protocol address associated with Burgmann, helping police identify him as their suspect. [Sacramento Bee]

Burgmann Accused Of Using Stolen Images To Blackmail Victims. Police alleged Burgmann obtained private photographs by accessing victims’ accounts and then attempted to pressure some victims for additional images or money. Authorities characterized the conduct as an alleged hacking and blackmail scheme. [KTVU]

Students Reported Suspicious Instagram And Snapchat Activity For Months. Berkeley High students told the school newspaper that suspicious messages and account intrusions occurred throughout the 2020-21 school year. Students described receiving messages requesting sexually explicit material and warnings circulating among classmates about compromised accounts. [Berkeley High Jacket]

Police Say Burgmann Possessed Login Information For More Than 100 People. Investigators said they found names, usernames, passwords, addresses and other identifying information belonging to more than 100 people. Court documents alleged the information was being retained for the purpose of accessing victims’ private accounts and obtaining photographs. [Sacramento Bee]

Liam Burgmann Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges

Detectives Say Burgmann Possessed More Than 600 Images Of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The Alameda County criminal complaint charged Burgmann with possessing more than 600 illegal images involving minors. The charging document also alleged that at least 10 images depicted prepubescent children or children younger than 12. [Alameda County Superior Court]

Police Reported Finding More Than 130 Videos In Burgmann’s Possession. Investigators said the material included more than 130 videos and that some depicted children as young as 3. The discovery resulted in a felony possession charge separate from allegations involving the hacked high-school students. [CBS San Francisco]

Burgmann Accused Of Posting Private Images Online Without Permission. Police and prosecutors also accused Burgmann of distributing intimate images obtained from victims without their consent. The Alameda County complaint included charges involving distribution of intimate images with intent to cause emotional distress. [Alameda County Superior Court]

Liam Burgmann Arrest And Charges

Police Arrested Burgmann In Berkeley On August 23, 2021. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and took Burgmann into custody near his Berkeley Hills residence following the approximately three-month investigation. [CBS San Francisco]

Alameda County Prosecutors Filed Hacking, Identity Theft And Intimate-Image Charges. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Burgmann with felony possession of child sexual abuse material, multiple computer-access-and-fraud counts, fraudulent possession of personal information and multiple charges involving distribution of intimate images. The allegations were filed in Alameda County Superior Court under case number 21-CR-010123. [Alameda County Superior Court]

Judge Reduced Burgmann’s Bail From More Than $1 Million To $220,000. Burgmann was initially held on bail exceeding $1 million, but a judge subsequently reduced the amount to $220,000. His attorney, David Cohen, said Burgmann was released after posting bail and urged the public not to assume his client was guilty based solely on the allegations. [Sacramento Bee]

Liam Burgmann Berkeley High Background

Burgmann Was A Member Of Berkeley High School’s Class Of 2021. The Berkeley High Jacket identified Burgmann as a 2021 alumnus who had participated prominently in the school’s debate program. The hacking allegations involved several people who had attended the same school. [Berkeley High Jacket]

Berkeley Unified Offered Counseling Support After Burgmann Arrest. Following the arrest, Berkeley Unified School District said student safety and privacy were priorities and that counseling staff had been alerted to provide support to students affected by the case. The district also said it would continue cooperating with Berkeley police. [SFist]