Hackers interrupt court Zoom sessions with pornographic content: 'The entire huge screen got taken over by it'

The Harris County courts were apparently the targets of hackers on Tuesday who interrupted virtual sessions by inserting pornographic videos, Houston-based media outlets reported. 

Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that a number of Harris County Court at Law live stream Zoom sessions were affected in the incident. 

KRIV reported that as of Wednesday, it was unknown how the adult content made its way to the streams.

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that about seven courtrooms had the videos in question appear on their streams, eliciting shock among meeting participants. 

Zoom sessions have been a part of the courts in the county and throughout the nation since the COVID-19 pandemic first took root. 

"I saw 10 or 12 seconds of it, in the middle of the courtroom … The entire huge screen got taken over by it,” attorney Tyler Flood told the station.

Harris County immediately conducted an investigation into the hack, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported. 

County officials labelled it a "Zoom bombing incident,” and it’s the first time since 2020 that an instance of unauthorized screen sharing occurred, per the station. 

“The incidents were quickly reported to court administrative staff, and the feeds were immediately shut down,” a county-issued press release obtained by KHOU said. “The incident has been referred to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Judicial Threat Unit for further investigation and criminal charges may be filed.”

According to KTRK, the proceedings continued in real life following the attack. 

Flood told the station that he hopes it doesn’t discourage the county from further using Zoom for future sessions. 

"Because that has been one of the only good things that came from COVID," he said, KTRK reported.