Southington Man Charged in Computer Stalking Case

A Southington man that police said used spyware to “keep tabs” on his ex-girlfriend will be arraigned in Bristol Superior Court in early November on charges of computer crimes after his efforts were discovered during a forensic audit on the victim’s computer, police said Tuesday.

Nello Picone, of 38 Meriden Ave. in Southington, turned himself into police Tuesday morning after learning there was a warrant for his arrest. He was booked on charges of second-degree computer crime and unauthorized use of a computer and released after posting a $5,000 bond.

“It was a detailed investigation that started after the ex-girlfriend became suspicious that he had tampered with her computer,” said Sgt. Lowell DePalma. “She said he had said things after their relationship ended that he couldn’t have known unless he had access to her private emails and chats.”

The conversations happened in 2009, police said, and the victim turned her computer over to police. She had already surmised that the information he had came from her chats and emails, DePalma said.

Detectives conducted a forensic audit of the computer and also sent it out to a private company for system review. They discovered that the computer contained specific spyware, which had been directly installed to send passwords, chats and other Internet history directly to Picone.

“It’s not ofte at all that we see a case like this,” DePalma said. “The investigation took time, but detectives were able to gain enough information to move forward with an arrest.”

Picone, 44, is schedule for arraignment in Bristol Superior Court on Nov. 7.