Chinese Hacker Hijacks 157 Government and Enterprise Websites to Serve as Pornography "Jump Servers," Using Cryptocurrency to Conceal Proceeds, Sentenced to 4 Years and 4 Months

May 29. The Qujiang District Court in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, China recently handed down a ruling in a hacker case where the defendant used a government-linked website as a launchpad for distributing pornography. The defendant, identified as Zhou, illegally took control of more than 150 servers—including systems belonging to 157 government agencies, corporate entities, and well-known apps—by exploiting website vulnerabilities. He bulk-implanted malicious files, forced users to be redirected to overseas pornography websites, and sold server access for profit. To evade tracking, Zhou rented residential properties and arranged for accomplices to operate remotely from Cambodia and Laos. All of his illicit proceeds were settled in cryptocurrencies such as Tether (USDT) and dispersed across multiple encrypted wallets. Working with police, prosecutors traced the full flow of illegal funds via a specialized digital currency tracking system, ultimately seizing virtual assets worth more than 42 million yuan. Zhou personally withdrew over 28 million yuan in illegal earnings. On April 23, the court sentenced Zhou to four years and four months in prison plus a fine on the charge of illegal control of computer information systems. Zhou pleaded guilty, and the judgment is final. Other suspects linked to the case remain at large and are still being pursued by authorities.