A former Shelby County resident was sentenced to six months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to illegally accessing the email and cloud storage accounts of over 50 women to obtain personal information and sexually explicit photographs on Wednesday, May 17.

According to the U.S. government’s sentencing memorandum, Kevin Michael Maldonado, 35, formerly of the U.S. 280 area in Birmingham, “repeatedly and indiscriminately gained access to multiple women’s computers for a period of at least two years using a number of methods, in essence, to stalk them.”

The memorandum stated that Maldonado created numerous fictitious email accounts impersonating administrators from several email providers to gain access to the victims’ information by demanding their account usernames and passwords. The memorandum also stated that he utilized websites such as Spokeo.com to gain additional information about his victims.

Once he accessed their accounts, he downloaded their personal information and images of them nude, partially nude or engaged in sexual activity.

Maldonado knew some of the victims. According to a press release from the office of the Acting United States Attorney Northern District of Alabama, Maldonado appeared largely motivated by his desire to view pornography.

Much of the information Maldonado illegally obtained was organized by victim or group and saved to an external computer hard drive for “easy access.”

Maldonado was sentenced by U.S. Court District Judge Abdul K. Kallon on one count of intentionally accessing one victim’s email account, and the photographs and images it stored, without her permission with the intent to invade her privacy. Maldonado pleaded guilty to the charge in February.

Maldonado, who now lives in North Carolina, is ordered to report to prison on July 17. Kallon also ruled that Maldonado will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

“In this age of digital living, passwords and security questions serve the same function as the lock on the front door once did,” the memorandum said. “Computer intrusions are the new ‘break ins’ and must be punished as such. Actions like the defendant’s compromise emails systems, decrease trust in technology, increase the security burdens imposed on everyone, and make it more difficult for people to access their accounts and their information, and quite simply live their lives.”