Rome prosecutors have opened an investigation into a series of videos, illegally obtained through a surveillance system, depicting TV host Stefano De Martino and his girlfriend in intimate situations. The stolen footage, taken from the woman’s apartment, was subsequently published online. The Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la privacy) has also intervened, ordering the immediate halt to the videos’ dissemination.
The magistrates from the piazzale Clodio office, who received a complaint filed by the entertainer’s lawyers, are currently proceeding against unknown persons for the alleged crime of unauthorized access to a computer system. The investigators, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco, have assigned the forensic work to the Postal Police, who will attempt to identify the hackers responsible for seizing the footage and releasing it onto the internet.
De Martino’s legal team—who also filed a report with the Porto Cervo (Sassari) Police—are asking magistrates to identify the perpetrators. In their complaint to the Prosecutor’s Office, they cite a series of legal violations, primarily the violation of their clients’ privacy. The filing requests that anyone who disseminated the images on certain websites, instant messaging chats, and private social network groups be identified and punished.
The complainants also identify a violation of Article 612-ter of the penal code, the unlawful dissemination of sexually explicit images or videos, which carries a penalty of one to six years in prison and fines of up to 15,000 euros. The videos were published on online platforms, attracting a high volume of user comments, many of which were offensive. The lawyers attached a series of screenshots of the derogatory statements aimed at the TV host and his girlfriend to the complaint to help investigators trace their authors.
The swift action by the Data Protection Authority aims to limit the spread of the footage. The Authority stated that “the dissemination of content concerning the personal and intimate sphere, even of public figures, is likely to cause serious and irreparable harm to the individuals involved,” and announced it has opened an “investigation” into the case. Upon its conclusion, the Authority “reserves the right to take any appropriate measures, both punitive and corrective, against those found responsible for the violations.”