Charges dropped in Facebook hacking case

Charges against a former Downers Grove North High School student accused of hacking into her teacher’s Facebook account and e-mail were dropped Tuesday after the teacher did not appear in court.

Courtney Hughes, of Woodridge, was facing two counts of computer tampering and one count of harassment via an electronic device.

DuPage County State’s Attorney spokesman Paul Darrah said the option of refiling the charges remains but prosecutors had yet to determine whether they will do so.

Hughes and two others were accused in April of hacking into the Facebook account and e-mail of teacher Lindsey Giannone multiple times between December 2009 and February 2010.

Kameron Rush, of Downers Grove, pleaded guilty in December to two counts of computer tampering and received one year of court supervision, 50 hours of community service and was told to write a letter of apology to the teacher.

A third defendant, Derek M. Smith, is due in court at 9:30 a.m. April 11.

Police last April said the three students hacked into the accounts and were “just being nuisances” and did not post anything offensive. They said the trio deleted posts and e-mails and moved some things around.