Teen accused in hacking, upskirt video cases to remain in juvenile court

Both criminal cases against a 17-year-old boy accused of shooting upskirt videos of female students at Union High School and hacking into numerous social media accounts, sharing nude photos, will remain in Clark County Juvenile Court, a judge has ruled.

Zachary Bridgeforth of Vancouver had a hearing Wednesday to determine whether the juvenile court should decline to prosecute and send his case, involving the hacked social media accounts, to Clark County Superior Court.

After hearing arguments from the prosecution and defense, Judge Robert Lewis determined that Bridgeforth’s case will remain in juvenile court, in part, because Lewis said he believes there are better resources there to help rehabilitate Bridgeforth.

A court commissioner previously granted an agreed-upon extension to retain Bridgeforth’s other case in juvenile court, despite him turning 18 on Friday. Lewis also granted a jurisdiction extension in the hacking case.

In arguing for the juvenile court to retain his case, Bridgeforth’s mother said that her son has been on house arrest. He was removed from Union High School and is attending another school, where he is going to all of his classes. He’s in therapy, she said, and is willing to comply with any necessary treatment.

“He’s shown he can stick with this,” she said.

Following the hearing, Bridgeforth entered not-guilty pleas to four counts of first-degree computer trespass, four counts of first-degree criminal impersonation, second-degree extortion, and one count each of second-degree possessing and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. His trial is set for June 20.

He pleaded not guilty in October to 15 counts of voyeurism in the upskirt videos case, and his trial was scheduled for March 7.