A foreign hacker accessed files tied to the FBI’s investigation of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after breaching a server at the bureau’s New York Field Office in February 2023, according to Justice Department documents and a source familiar with the matter.
The intrusion occurred at the FBI’s Child Exploitation Forensic Lab after Special Agent Aaron Spivack inadvertently left a server vulnerable while navigating procedures for handling digital evidence. Spivack discovered the breach the following day when a text file appeared on his computer warning that the network had been compromised.
Internal records show investigators later found unusual activity on the server, including searches through files related to the Epstein investigation. The timeline does not specify which documents were accessed or whether any data was downloaded.
The source said the hacker appeared to be a cybercriminal rather than a government actor and initially did not realize the system belonged to law enforcement. After encountering child abuse images on the device, the hacker reportedly left a message threatening to report the owner to the FBI before officials convinced the intruder during a video call that the owner was, in fact, the FBI. The bureau described the breach as an “isolated” cyber incident and said the investigation remains ongoing.
