The Amazing Story of Siggy, the Pedophile Hacker Who Betrayed Assange at 18 and Spyed for the FBI
Ole Bendtzen first heard about Sigurdur Thordarson in an article published in the Danish press in 2012. “He said he worked for Julian Assange and WikiLeaks when he was a teenager and then he betrayed them and became an FBI informant,” the director recalls in a Zoom chat. Pawnthe thing is this Siggy, HackerThis chubby, blonde Icelandic boy, as he was known, was in prison for a variety of reasons including fraud and child abuse. “It all seemed so strange, so surreal that I thought if even half of it were true, it would be a wonderful story.”
The Danish director contacted Reykjavik Prison, spoke to Siggi on the phone and told him he wanted to make a documentary about his story and he agreed. Bendtzen did not know that the story would ultimately take him ten years. the result is Siggy, the FBI spy kidAvailable on Filmin platform. “My first impression of him was of an extremely shy, attractive, intelligent young man… I couldn’t help but feel love for him because of the way he spoke. He admitted to the crime, but it was so young that you could forgive him. “I didn’t know what he was really doing and what he was really capable of before I met him,” says the filmmaker.
Siggy in a frame from the documentary
And he adds: “My relationship with her progressed and gradually more and more suspicious things came to light. Obviously I changed my perspective on it because at first I saw her as a victim. I don’t look at it that way anymore. Especially when cases of rape came to light with these boys. It’s hard to believe what the kids say about him. Then, talking to Siggy, I see a manipulative guy who knows how to change your story a little. My relationship with him is very difficult because I feel both hatred and sympathy. I think he’s a simple person and at the same time very complex,” he admitted.
On camera in 2014, Siggi admitted how exciting it was to work for WikiLeaks: “It was like a Hollywood movie in which you infiltrate government systems and read classified information.” With great shyness he defines himself as “a good bad guy”. Bendtzen’s camera also makes use of close-up witnesses, such as Siggy’s mother or Dan Sommer, the protagonist’s priest and bodyguard, who collaborated in the operation against Al Qaeda: “He was a nice guy, funny, cheerful, but introverted. “We didn’t know what he did with the computer,” says the mother of the computer genius who, at age 9, had already hacked computers at school to change the grades of students who were He didn’t like it.
My first impression of him was of an extremely shy, attractive, intelligent young man. My relationship with him progressed and gradually more suspicious things came to light.
During an airplane trip he helped a Milestone CEO with his laptop and was hired to fix computers that had access to a lot of confidential material. The kid realized the mess in the system and decided to publicly expose Icelandic banking corruption after talking to a newspaper, which ultimately exposed him.
He was arrested at the age of 17. And it didn’t take them long to contact WikiLeaks. “He was presented to us as a child who was harmed by the media,” says Brigitta, a former member of the organization created by Julian Assange. “We were like Batman and Robin,” says Siggy, as the camera shows the two of them smiling. He exposed internal emails from the Syrian regime to the US Senate. In 2010, WikiLeaks published 250,000 diplomatic cables, classified information, which was condemned by then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The hacker always traveled with his teddy bear because it made him feel safe
Sommer described Assange’s organization as “irresponsible” for involving a minor traveling around the world with classified information. As revealed in the documentary, Siggy traveled with a bodyguard, her teddy bear – “I feel safe with him” and the biggest leak in history. For some, Julian was a hero and for others, a villain. And that big man who seemed to never break a plate finally betrayed her.
He was afraid of being jailed in the United States and, to gain immunity, he became an FBI detective at the age of 18. “On the one hand he wanted to protect himself and also continue to enjoy the adventure as an FBI informant.” , the director admits. “As WikiLeaks’ fame and popularity grew, Julian gradually became more and more paranoid. And the only one he could really trust was Siggy. She had complete access to everything, which is absolutely absurd for a teenager to have access to some of the world’s biggest secrets and Julianne’s personal life. And it turned out that the person who was least expected to betray her did so,” he says.
As WikiLeaks’ fame and popularity grew, Julian gradually became more and more paranoid. And the only one I could really trust was Siggy
“He seems like a weak man,” Bendtzen continues, “although he is big and has big blue eyes; Drink Coca-Cola, eat hamburgers and candy. I think Julian thought Siggy was inappropriate and he trusted her. And then being with Siggy is a lot of fun. “He always comes up with silly things and has a great sense of humor.”
Over the years, Ole Bendtzen remains in contact with Siggi, who is accused of multiple counts of abuse and sentenced to three years in prison for the rape of nine boys. One of them committed suicide. A police officer described how Siggi asked minors for sex in exchange for money and then, when he met them, he sprayed them with pepper spray and sexually assaulted them. “I have never used violence in my entire life,” he comments without regret.
Siggy with Dan, his priest and bodyguard
On screen, we see Oli, one of his victims: “He forced me to have sex more than 50 times. He promised me money, car and computer and eventually surprised me with a taser. “It was very painful.”
In 2021, he is charged with multiple fraud and theft crimes. Even his priest declares that “he cannot be trusted,” but “everyone rejects him and he must be given a second chance,” he cries. A year later he was imprisoned again in Iceland on charges of money laundering and corporate fraud. “I feel somewhat guilty,” Siggy said. He says he wants to be normal, but he doesn’t know “how to act.” Are we looking at a victim or a real monster? “I don’t think he’s a monster. He’s guilty because he’s done terrible things. And he’s also a victim of other people who blame him.” The documentary filmmaker argues, ”He’s a criminal and There is also a victim because the world is not black or white.
WikiLeaks did not want the film to be made and tried everything possible to stop the project. I think they will try to destroy you if you don’t fit into their story.
One voice that is conspicuously missing from the film is that of Assange himself or someone from WikiLeaks. “We tried for ten years. Even after finishing the documentary. I met with their spokesperson, Kristin Hrafnsson, but they did not want the film made. He came forward in public and attacked us. “They made every effort to stop the project, which is strange for WikiLeaks, which advocates transparency and independent journalism,” the director lamented. “In my opinion, they were afraid that we would portray Siggy as some kind of hero and that was never our intention. I think they want a narrative and if you don’t fit their narrative, they will try to destroy you.
And what does the hero of this incredible story do now? “He was at the premiere of the documentary in Copenhagen with Dan. We have talked several times and now I know that he works with Dan in his company in Denmark. I hope it goes well for you,” he concluded optimistically.