Idol winner Lane Hardy accused of wiretapping former dorm room | Entertainment

BATON-ROSE, Louise. – The winner of “American Idol” Lane Hardy was arrested on Friday after he was accused of putting a wiretapping device in the dormitory of his ex-girlfriend, authorities said.

Hardy, 21, of Livingston, Louisiana, faces felony interception and disclosure of wires, electronic or verbal communication, said Louisiana State University spokeswoman Ernie Ballard. Hardy surrendered to the LSU Police Department and ended up in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

A Hardy spokesman, who is not a LSU student, did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment.

Hardy’s lawyer, K. Frank Holthaus, said in a statement to USA Today that his client “has been and will continue to cooperate fully with the Louisiana State Police Department in this matter.”

Holthaus did not immediately respond to a phone call from the Associated Press asking for comment.

According to the arrest warrant, on April 6, the woman and her roommate found in their dorm room a recording device. The next day they reported the find to the LSU police. The woman told police she found a device similar to a phone charger under the futon, the warrant said.

She told officers that she thought her ex-boyfriend Hardy had left the device in her room earlier because he seemed to know the details of what was going on in her life, even if she hadn’t told him about it. Police said they later found evidence of secret records made over 10 days in February, the warrant said.

“The victim advised her to face him immediately, to which he confessed to her that he left the” beetle “in her room, but threw it into the pond,” – said in a statement.

Hardy, who won the 17th season of the American Idol TV talent show in 2019, told his nearly 750,000 followers about the investigation in a Facebook post Thursday.

“I understand that my career has been the focus of public attention, and I accept it with all my heart, because my whole world belongs to my music and my fans. However, due to the sensitive nature of this statement, I humbly ask for privacy at this time. I have great respect for the law and will assist in their investigation if necessary, “he wrote.

If convicted, Hardy faces up to 10 years in prison and a $ 10,000 fine.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed without permission.