On Wednesday evening, a sex tape containing footage of U.S. Virgin Islands Rep. Stacey Plaskett and her husband as well as several photographs were posted online after her computer was hacked. The video and the images have since been taken down.
“The theft and distribution of these personal images via the internet marks a new low in Virgin Islands politics,” Plaskett said in a statement. “I am shocked and deeply saddened that someone would stoop to such a level as to invade my marriage and the love of my family in an attempt to besmirch me politically.”
“Private photographs shared between my husband and me, as well as a private playful video of our family, including one of our children, were illegally obtained and disseminated via the internet,” she continued.
“To say my family and I are greatly upset would be a tremendous understatement. As a mother I am outraged that one of my children was exploited in such a way. The theft and dissemination of these images via the internet is a shockingly disgusting invasion of my family’s and my privacy - not to mention criminal acts in violation of both territorial and federal law.”
Her chief of staff Jerome Murray confirmed that her office is working with the FBI as well as Capitol police. Plaskett’s team considers the hack, which occurred two weeks before a primary election, to be politically motivated.
“This incident shows that there are some people who will go to any length to degrade a woman who refuses to play their games and will try to besmirch my good name by any means necessary,” Plaskett said. “I have a message for the criminals who perpetrated these heinous acts: I will not go away.”