ng to eat less drink less. you're saying that's the wrong attitude. >> you can almost trick yourself slim. it's about the order of the food the size of plates the size of the serving spoon. these all influence how much we eat from about 15% to 25%. >> you guys ready to eat? >> yeah! >> to test out his theory we invited everyone to lunch and split them into two groups. for the first group, we lay out the buffet like this -- fruit and salad first, then fatty pasta dishes at the end. we give them nine-inch plates slightly smaller than normal add modest size serving spoons. >> looks fabulous. >> great. >> food is great. >> and right away we see a pattern. they're piling on the healthy stuff, not much room left on the plate for the gooey pasta. why did you like the fruit? >> it's healthy. >> it's the first thing you saw. >> yeah. >> the first food you see is a trigger food. it triggers every other decision you make after that. if it's healthy, everything else

is -- everything else you take is more likely to be healthy. >> they have no idea but behind the scenes -- >> 6.5 pounds. >> we are tracking how much they eat. you ate healthy. you had fruit and lettuce. >> i had seconds. >> when they're done we reset for group two with some changes. now we're going to switch the order of the the food so the healthy stuff goes in the back and we're leaving the fatty stuff at the beginning. that will be the first thing they see. we're also giving group two slightly bigger plates and bigger serving spoons. okay time to bring them in. remember the food itself is exactly the same. >> i don't think i have room for fruit on my plate. >> they dig in. >> this is mac and cheese. this is amazing. >> this is to die for. this is the best. >> they are binging on pasta because it's the first thing they see. as we know it's the trigger food. >> exactly. where you start in the buffet line matters. same thing at home. the food you see first at dinner changes everything.

>> what we find is about 70% of what people are taking end up being the first three foods they see. >> when they're finally full we bring both groups together for the big reveal. we've been secretly weighting the food-- weighing the food in the back to see what you ate. this group here with the the bigger plate and bigger spoon ate 56% more food. jaw jaw-dropping i know. 56% more food. most of it pasta. the group with the smaller plate and smaller spoon, an average of 890 calories per person in pasta. group two with the bigger plate -- 1,520 calories per person in past alone. >> i'm going to the gymed to and starting a diet tomorrow. >> it's not just food packing on's tremendous how many calories we take in by drinking. ends up being 10% of what we drink before a meal the calories. >> he says we can cut those liquid calories by starting w something as simple as this. the shape of your glass.

the shape, why? >> it's crazy. here's two glasses. they hold the same. even with glasses like this, you're going to pour 30% more in a short, wide glass than a tall skinny glaus skinny glass as this because you don't account for the width. we look at height for overflow, but nobody looks at the width. >> can it really make a difference? seeing is believing, and you know i love to throw a party. ♪ >> for this bash, we're serving up sugary punch and sodas in tall narrow highball glasses ready to be filled. men while, i'm in the back with the professor watching it all. look at that. only filling it up halfway. >> halfway or 60%. they always stop there. it doesn't matter whether they're a man or woman. it's almost always the same. >> after 45 minutes, we clear them out. then we invite a second group in. ready to party? >> yes. >> same drinks different glasses. short, wide ones. >> amazing.

the guy's on the second glass. both glasses filled right to the top. >> exactly as predicted. >> that's amazing. that's his second glass in like five minutes, too. >> i'm all for that. >> okay. time to size up the damage. watsink counts the empty bottles and pitchers from both crowds and crunches the numbers. then we break the news to our unsuspecting drinkers. first, we tell them how much punch they drank. group number one out of the tall skinny glasses drank 366 ounces of punch. your group, out of these shorter glasses but are wider, drank 620 ounces -- 70% more! [ applause ] >> and that's not the worst of it. remember there was soda here too. but wait there's more. [ laughter ] >> group one out of these tall skinny glasses, had 34 ounces of soft drinks, soda. your group had 112 ounces.

that is 267% more. >> wow. >> it makes you think twice about what kind of glassware you should be serving at the your parties or your homes. >> by the way, same goes for alcohol, too. yes, you tend to pour more into a wide red wine glass than a skinny white wine glass. watsink says it's simple -- thinner glasses, smaller plates thinner, smaller you. >> it's really hard to become slim by willpower. it's a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week thing. you change elements you become slim by design. you don't think about it again. >> i'll see you this time next year ten pounds later. >> deal. >> done! >> happy new year! [ cheers ] coming up amy van dyken rohan won at the olympics. nous prepared to beat this -- >> i'm paraplegic. though i aim not to be that one day, that's what i am.

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♪ >> amy! >> this was amy van dyken-rouen last month, proudly riding as the grand marshal of the fiesta bowl parade in phoenix. the story of how she got here is one of determination, hard work and courage. before this, what was the biggest adversity you faced in your life? >> that i'm a severe asthmatic. that was the biggest adversity. that's nothing compared to this -- nothing. >> at the age of 41 amy is in the fight of her life. >> van dyken stretching for the wall -- she's got the gold! >> she was one of the greatest olympic champions of all time. but now -- >> i'm now paraplegic. although i aim to not be one day, that's what i am. >> it happened in arizona last june.

a near-fatal atv accident that severely damaged her spinal cord and left her paralyzed from the waist down. this is the last picture of amy taken before the accident soaking up the sun with her beloved dog, kuma. >> when i look at the it now it breaks my heart because that was my old life. that was the last day of my old life and the first day of my new life. how are you, matt? it's got -- >> how are you? i met up with amy and her husband, former nfl punter tom rouen four weeks after the accident. we talked about the moment she learned she would need dangerous surgery and might not survive. for some reason what jumped into your mind of tom. >> yes. yeah. i wanted to tell him that if i don't make it -- like live your life, and, you know move on. >> what was it like to hear those words come out of her

mouth at that particular time? >> it was tough. and one of the things that i told her was if she wanted to -- if all this was too much that she wanted to go she could go. and i'd understand. >> uh-huh. that was tough to hear. but it was also matt a challenge. don't tell me i can't do something. don't tell me to give up. there's no being lazy around here. >> after surgery, amy dedicated herself to long punishing hours of rehab, pushing through excruciating pain. >> i've got rods and i've got a gazillion screws putting me together. you assume when you become paralyzed it's just all numb and it's not. i'm sitting here right now, and my legs feel like i'm standing in a fire. >> amy left the hospital in august. she was thankful optimistic but worried about what day-to-day living would be like back home in scottsdale arizona. >> the way that my house is right now, i will not be able to take a shower. even cooking i can't see if like the pots are boiling.

i won't be able to reach the faucet to do the dishes. >> i started looking into the changes that needed to be made. i ended up getting in touch with george. >> george is george oliphant, host of the home improvement show "george to the rescue." amy didn't know anything about george and his army of volunteers doing the renovations. when she finally returned home three months to the day after her accident, it was overwhelming -- [ cheers ] >> thank you for everything. [ applause ] >> this is amazing! >> wow. >> because of all the changes, amy can now do many of the simple thing she used to take for granted. >> oh my gosh! now i can cook. i can do the dishes. >> for her transportation tom had wanted to trade in amy's sporty camaro for a sensible van with a lift. >> i'm like no no, no. the camaro is sexy and rock and roll. and hello -- sexy and rock and roll is totally what i am.

>> her welcome home tour ended in the garage where amy got the biggest surprise of all. >> ready to go -- >> oh my gosh! are you kidding me? >> there was the camaro retrofitted with hand controls still hers to drive. >> you got the your freedom back babe. >> thank you very much. >> talk about some hot wheels. >> what people don't understand is when you pass me you don't know i'm handicapped. that's the one time where i'm normal. >> but she wants so much more. you love to set goals. so what's your goal? >> my ultimate goal is to walk. >> doctors told amy it's unlikely she'll ever walk again. but that's not stopping her from training harder than ever. >> hold there. three, two, one. up. ate you. >> good. >> come on -- you can to it. go. >> amy says she's able to face the pain the good days and the

bad. >> i want to push -- >> because of an incredible support team starting with her rock her husband, tom. >> he's the reason that i wake up every day. he's the inspiration. >> together tom and amy want to inspire and help others. last month, tom and amy launched a new website and foundation to help people with spinal cord injuries. >> our mission is to give necessary medical equipment to people with spinal cord injuries that cannot afford it through their own means or through insurance. >> for ami, it's the best way to give something back. >> i hope people can look at me and know that listen i'm going through what would be considered hell but i'm doing it with a smile. it's not so bad. so maybe your monday morning meeting doesn't really suck as bad as you think it does. >> everything's in perspective. >> yes, everything's in perspective. >> amy van dyken-rouen knows something about perspective and what it takes to still be a champion. >> these are days that i wasn't supposed to have. and i am here.

so i'm on borrowed time. i better make it awesome. coming up -- >> you can kick out a window and it's easier than most people think. >> how to make a great escape. >> yeah! also -- >> i love my job skiing with her. >> gold medalist lindsey vonn. after a string of setbacks she shows her grit. >> i feel like i need another chance. >> and opens up about life apre sk

it's not a new year's resolution many people make. maybe they should. be ready for anything. and as you'll see, we're not just talking about flat tires.

here's andrea canning. there's something empowering about being prepped. ah! even for circumstances that are unlikely to ever happen. recently we posted a web clip on how easy t too say break free from duct tape. the idea came from a story we do on "dateline." the this is extremely tight. i feel like i'm in extremely tight handcuffs. the video went viral with more than 18 million views. one, two, three -- my gosh it actually worked! our followers asked if there were other escape techniques we could share. with the help of former cia officer jason hanson, we're going to teach you how to escape from places and situations in ways you never thought possible. ready? >> yeah. >> okay. first a quick get out of duct tape. our expert who teaches escape techniques through his spy, escape and evasion company, told us why it works. >> so you'll notice right now,

i'm tearing the duct tape. i tore it easily. you can sit and try and pull apart. but what you do is when you lift your hands high above your head and come down hard slapping your hips, you create the similar angle that i created when i tore it. >> one, two three -- >> there you go. >> is itification sonics. >> yeah, it's -- physics? >> yeah, it's creating the right angle to tear tape. >> after the videos our followers wanted to know what happens if you're duct taped from behind. >> you're unlikely to get duct taped from behind because you can't get your arms that close together. >> it would be more of a dumb criminal that would duct tape you from behind? >> yes. just pull one hand out. lift one up high. >> okay. that was all of what, one second? >> one. >> hanson says another material commonly used by skrnls rope-- by skrnls rope. there's a trick for that, too. >> there's a secret. make it as tight as you want. >> okay, that's about as tight as i can get it.

>> all i've got to do escape is fully extend my hands, pull them out straight shimmy shimmy shimmy and pull myself right out. what i did as you were tying me up the secret is to keep your elbows apart like this. create that false space. have your wrists curve out, nice and tight. and then pull one of your hands out of there. there you go. so you know less than 30 seconds, and you're out. >> the odds of being tied up are small, but here's something that really does happen -- kids getting lockeded in trunks. in fact so many children were inadvertently trapping themselves and dying that car manufacturers were mandated to put in a safety release in all cars made after 2001 so anyone with kids here's an escape you should teach them. >> kids get in trunks playing hide and go seek or something. remember there's the trunk release latch. it glows in the dark. teach your kids this. they pull this down and they get out. >> it seems like it would be pretty easy for a kid, too.

so i'm going to give it a try. the lever release is very obvious. it's glowing in the dark. it's right in front of me. i'm going to pull it and hopefully the door is going to -- very easy. there's also another way to escape a trunk. especially in late model vehicles. >> newer cars what they have are these levers. you pull them out, and you can pull them toward you about an inch or so. and when you pull this out, it unlocks that seat. so you can just go kick it in or crawl through it. >> to show just how easy this is i've brought along two of my children to demonstrate. anna is 5, and charlie is 4. we've left the back seats down so the girls aren't really locked in the trunk. see this? this will glow in the dark if the trunk was closed, okay, so it would light up. all you do is pull it and this trunk will go open. okay ready? think can do it? >> yeah. >> okay.

pull the -- good! look how easy that was. and they have no problem pulling the releases for the back seat and crawling right through. nice job! >> my turn my turn my turn. >> it worked. and for our final escape how to break a car window. if you're ever trapped in your car after an accident or your car is submerged in water, here's what you need to do -- >> you can kick out a window and it's easier than most people think. what you want to do is kick out in this corner area here. this is where the glass goes into the frame, it's the tightest. you don't want to kick it in the middle because it can absorb the kick more. >> i feel like this would be the natural spot the to start kicking -- >> right. you want where the glass is the tightest, that way it's easier to shatter and not absorb. >> we've heard about so many kids being trapped. what's the best way to get into that car as fast as possible to rescue the child? >> grab anything you can. it can be a rock, it can be a pipe. same exact thing. so you're still hitting this area. >> this is the sweet spot then? our expert says this works ease lein older model cars -- easily in older model cars but can be

tougher in newer ones. got the my glasses for any glass shattering. so here it goes -- whoa! whoo! it definitely wasn't as hard as i thought. >> awesome job. you did it perfectly. you were hitting right in the corner. that's exactly -- >> only, what three or four kicks. you know what it is empowering like you said, when you can figure out ways to save yourself. >> heaven forbid it ever happens. coming up, this world ski championship crash could have put lindsey vonn's career ice. now making a big comeback she reveals her biggest challenges on the slopes -- >> no matter what the situation, you can always turn it around. >> and off -- >> how does that affect you? the glare of the media spotlight on your relationship? also ahead -- >> photos of me changing in my room. >> she had no idea when she opened up her laptop, she opened up her entire life to a modern-day peeping tom. >> it could happen to honestly

anybody. >> how to keep it from happening to you when "dateline" continues. econd. and i'm jerry bell the third. i'm like a big bear and he's my little cub. this little guy is non-stop. he's always hanging out with his friends. you've got to be prepared to sit at the edge of your seat and be ready to get up. there's no "deep couch sitting." definitely not good for my back. this is the part i really don't like right here. (doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii] deep couch sitting! you get used to food odors in your car. you think it smells fine but your passengers smell this... eliminate odors you've gone noseblind to for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip. smells nice... so you and your passengers can breathe happy.

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if you're determined to turn things around this new year we've got some inspiration for you. gold medal skier lindsey vonn. she's been up she's been down and not long ago there was a moment when she might easily have been counted out. now she's opening up about her battle back and the man she calls her inspiration, tiger woods. here's natalie morales. >> lindey's in the gate. >> lindsey vonn is the most successful female ski racer in american history. she's conquered every major alpine ski competition and has two olympic medals under her belt. hers is a career built on fearlessness and mental strength. >> i've always been a really determined person. i've never had any fear of going fast. i've always loved pushing

myself. >> i'm sorry i know it's a day off for you but -- we recently spent an afternoon with the 30-year-old in vail, colorado where she lives and trains. >> i don't take any unnecessary risk. >> she opened up about her pain painstaking recovery from a devastating injury newfound confidence and an inner grit that never, ever allowed her to give up. >> no matter what the situation, you can always turn it around. >> here we go! >> lindey kildo was practically born on skis. she got her first taste of the sport at the age of 2. although she says it was another taste that initially drew her in. >> i think back then the only thing i really wanted to do was have hot chocolate and doughnuts with sprinkles on top. >> apres ski. >> that was my favorite thing. >> it wasn't long before her favorite thing was winning. her career guided by her father alan kildo, lindsey racked up wins and accolades.

by 2010 "sports illustrated" dubbed her "america's best woman skier ever." of course the 5'10" blonde bombshell was noticed for more than her athletic prowess. all eyes were on her as she skied her way to the olympic gold in vancouver in 2010. [ cheers ] >> yes! >> lindsey was officially a media darling. the endorsements rolled in. her face and that killer body were everywhere. but privately she was suffering as her marriage to thomas vonn her coach and manager, was falling apart. >> it's difficult to have a relationship where you're married and also working together. >> the couple announced they were divorcing in 2011. were you afraid to be on your own at all? >> yeah. i was definitely a little bit afraid to be on my own. i questioned myself whether i could do it without someone by my side. and i did. i had my best season after the divorce. >> for the first time in her life lindsey was calling the

shots. >> i'm finally responsible for my own life and it's a really empowering feeling. >> she was expected to be a big star at the sochi olympics but then came february 2013. the world ski championships in austria. during an extended weather delay, the snow on the course had changed. >> it was soft and slushy and i went off the jump in the middle of the course and i just landed in the slop. >> vonn over the top! >> it stopped my skis dead in the tracks and i flipped over. and my knee of gone in a split second. >> lindsey did about as much damage to a knee as one could do. she soon underwent reconstructive knee surgery. >> day one. >> day one. >> lindsey decided to chronicle that surgery and her painful rehabilitation process for an upcoming documentary to air on nbc. though the odds were against her, lindsey spent the better part of the next year training for the sochi games.

when she got hurt again at the world cup in france, she knew she wouldn't make it. >> i realized at the that moment that my run for the olympics was over. >> devastated but still determined she pushed ahead through yet another surgery and more rehab. and by her side offering support was a new boyfriend, golfer tiger woods. how did the relationship develop? >> we were actually friends for a long time. just one thing led to the other. >> the two had a lot in common. both had trained relentlessly from an early age to reach the top of their sports. dating tiger jolted lindsey into a whole new stratosphere of fame and scrutiny. how does that affect you, the glare of the media spotlight on your relationship? beginning it was difficult. i think it was not really what people expected. but i don't really care what anyone else thinks as long as you know we're happy. that's what matters. >> have you gotten tiger on skis yet? >> yeah. he's really good. yeah yeah.

>> just last month, she made her comeback with a win at the world cup downhill race at lake louise in alberta. >> lindsey vonn is in the lead once again! [ applause ] >> like louise, canada! >> was incredible. finally i'm back. >> this weekend, lindsey reached a major milestone at the world cup in italy where she matched the all-time women's record of 62 world cup wins. so what does the future have in store for lindsey? wedding bells again? unlikely, she says. >> it's almost like when you get married, you have this feeling of being trapped, you know. no offense. >> none taken. >> i checked the marriage box, and i think i'm -- i'm good for right now. >> what about children? >> yeah. i definitely want children. that's something i would love to have in the future. >> and if she has her way, she'll have more olympic gold to show them someday. >> i'm going to be in the next olympics in 2018.

i feel like i need another chance. love my job skiing with her! lindsey continues to push to excel, and most importantly to ski and live by her own rules. >> i overcame this and i'm at the top again. that makes me just that much more appreciative of what i have now and how far i've come. >> injury won't stop you. >> no. nothing will stop me. i swear. >> and you can watch "lindsey vonn: the climb," sunday january 25th here on nbc. check your local listings. coming up -- >> you must have thought who could have taken these photos. >> hacked right in her bedroom. and you won't believe how. >> this guy completely took everything that i worked for. >> see how she fought back.

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computer security should be right up there on the list of things you're checking in the new year. remember what happened to jennifer lawrence? a hacker stole her intimate photos and posted them on line for the world to see. and that same kind of crime could easily happen to you. here's kate snow. ♪

>> cassidy wolf has been dancing since she was 2 years old. what's the feeling when you're in the zone? >> it's like nothing can stop me honestly. >> and not much did stop her. the teenager from california blazed through high school. she got good grades stacked up dance trophies, even tried her hand attribute beauty pageant and won. >> miss california teen usa 2013! >> but something happened to cassidy not so long ago -- an attack that made the dancing stop that made her want to hide away. >> this guy completely took everything that i had worked for. i felt like he took it all away. it was gone. >> it began with the click of a computer mouse and terrified not just cassidy but her friends and family too. it feels like part of what happened to you, cassidy, was you lost some of your innocence

about the world. >> definitely. >> cassidy never expected to be a victim. in march, 2013 the 18-year-old was busy juggling college classes with her public appearances as miss california teen usa. she was also prepping for the big prize -- miss teen usa. >> at that point, i was a freshman in college. i was a full-time student plus i was on my dance team. >> were you sleeping at all? >> i was trying. i'm also a night owl, too so i would spend my nights looking up pageant gowns or swimsuits or whatever. >> and she did all her browsing on a beat-up pink laptop. the same one she'll had in high school. open all the time? >> open all the time. my music constantly playing. >> someone of watching her. cassidy's first clue that something was wrong -- a message from facebook. >> i got a notification that somebody had tried to log in to my facebook account and change

my password. >> and then half an hour later, the e-mail that changed everything. it was from a complete stranger and began with a taunt -- "you really should have made your password better. anyone guess dancer." >> at the very bottom of the e-mail there was two photos of me changing in my room. and -- >> wait, two photos of you changing your clothes? >> yep. >> so half naked? >> yeah. i was completely naked. you couldn't see my face but they were -- one it looked like i had a towel wrapped around like my upper body so you could see my lower body. and then there was another one when i was walking into my bedroom. >> you must have thought who could have taken these photos. >> i was so confused honestly. i had no idea. and it took a couple seconds to sink in, okay, those are taken through my web cam on my computer. >> what was that feeling like? >> it was indescribable. >> and there was something else in that e-mail -- a threat. cassidy read it for us. >> either you do one of the things listed below, or i upload

these pics and a lot more, and your dreams of being a model will be transformed into a it orn star. >> the worldwider wanted cassidy send more photos -- the writer wanted cassidy to send more photos or video or video chat and did what he told her. if she didn't he said he would publish the pictures he had taken of her. it was ex-portion -- extortion, pure and simple. >> i was screaming. i wasn't saying anything but i was screaming thinking to myself this guy has control of my entire life right now. and i don't know how to stop it. cassidy immediately told her mother mary. >> why would somebody do this? we couldn't believe it. >> mary called the police and a few days later handed over cassidy's laptop to fbi special agent julie patton for analysis. she discovered it was infected with malicious software that enabled the hacker to control it remotely. but she had no idea who that hacker might be. >> in the beginning days and weeks, there were a lot of dead ends. it was frustrating. >> and his emails kept coming.

>> "i'm not going to stop ever." he was attacking me you know one e-mail after another. all caps saying you know curse words, you know it was violent. he was violently attacking me and threatening me with these photos. >> the hacker even set deadlines for cassidy. told her a clock was ticking. if she didn't respond to him within a certain amount of time he'll post the photos. and finally, he did. a picture of cassidy in her underwear on her twitter page. on another website, a video he'd made of her taking off her shorts. >> it was disgusting. >> you must have felt helpless. >> totally, totally helpless. the worst part was when we started getting other pictures, and we could start to put together maybe how long this had gone on. he had watched my daughter -- it looks like a year. silently watched her. >> the ceo of ssp blue with a

company that advises companies and corporations on cybersecurity issues. he says hackers use software called remote access technology to infect their victims' computers. >> if i've installed a r.a.t. on my computer i will send your computer a message. once you click on it i will now own your computer. it's what's called slaving your computer. >> and what can you do then? >> once i've slaved your computer i can turn on your web cam, i can log all the passwords. i can, in fact log everything you're doing. >> knowing more about the technology behind the attack on cassidy didn't make her mom feel any better. >> i couldn't sleep for months because i was terrified he was going come to the house. >> cassidy and her family wondered if there was anything they could do to fight back against their invisible tormentor. >> coming up -- cassidy's not the only target.

>> emails kept coming. it was horrible and horrifying honestly. >> soon she will find a way to battle back in a very public way. >> she w

cassidy wolf is being targeted by a hacker someone who's taken control of her baby cam -- her web cam to spy on her. she's about to summon the courage to fight back by doing what few hacking victims are willing to do. again, kate snow. cassidy wolf was living in fear -- fear of someone she couldn't even see. a computer hacker who was >> i thought it was just some creepy guy, you know halfway across the world who does this all the time. >> somebody who doesn't know you. >> basically a monster is what i created in my head. >> a few weeks after his first e-mail that monster upped the pressure on cassidy telling her he had slaved other computers, too. people cassidy knew from high school like jenny macalinto. >> emails kept coming. i think i got seven in that first night. paragraph after paragraph after paragraph saying things about my friends, saying i've been

watching you for over a year now. i have all your information. i've been taking pictures of you. >> just like he had with cassidy, the hacker threatened to post naked photos of jenny on line. she didn't give in to his demands. but agent patton found other people who had. and what he made them do was chilling. one 17-year-old undressed for him on skype. >> before it started, she said "the have a heart, i'm only 17." i think his response was, "i'll tell you right now, i have no heart." >> the i'm trying to imagine how you felt when you figured out now he's going after your friends. >> i started to blame myself. >> you felt a little guilty? >> i felt like he set it up to the way that he was doing it to make me feel guilty and i did feel guilty. i felt like this was my fault that this was happening to them when it wasn't at all. >> cassidy made a bold decision. she decided to go public with her story. >> california, come on down! >> during the final of the miss teen usa pageant, cassidy told the audience what had happened

to her. >> he was able to tap in to my webcam and took pictures of me in my bedroom. >> we didn't know she was going to do that. i don't know that she did. it was a stepping stone from god and gave her a place to put her voice. at this point, she wasn't a victim any longer. >> cassidy's hacker was still at large. of he watching when in spite of everything she'd been through she was crowned miss teen usa? how exciting was that moment? >> it was so exciting. i couldn't breathe, and i was crying. and all i could think in my head was, oh my gosh oh my gosh oh, my gosh. where's my mom? where's my mom? >> and then another victory. after painstaking work special agent patton had been able to link the hacker to a physical address. not on the other side of the world as cassidy had suspected but in her hometown temecula. >> temecula is fantastic because that means we've got someone local. >> turns out, agent patton just had to look in cassidy's high

school yearbook to find a photo of her hacker. his name was jared abra hams and he'd been her classmate. you had in your head that it was some stranger millions of miles away. it's not. >> no. >> it's a guy who went to your high school. >> and that's the creepiest part. the creepiest part was that he was so close to me and that we were in the same school. he was probably in the hallways. >> cassidy's hacker confessed everything to agent patton, said he had slaved more than 100 computers. >> said i'm horribly uncomfortable face to face with people. and this is -- this is the one area of my life where i'm comfortable. >> the hacker's defense attorney told us abrahams was so computer wiz. how had the teenager managed to victimize so many people? >> jared was teaching himself to be a hacker. >> investigators found out cassidy's hacker made several visits to a website where people cannot only swap tips about how to slave computers, they can also buy and sell computer slaves. >> he was asking and then asking

more questions and asking more questions. and interestingly, people kept helping him. >> later, he boasted about cassidy, the model he had snared. it just seems crazy to me that people would be openly discussing this stuff right on a forum on line. do they feel like nobody's going catch them? nobody's going care? >> if you look back -- let's even take the last five years. we can count in one hand the number of cases that have actually been prosecuted. they know that. >> the former prosecutor says one obstacle to prosecuting sextortion skasz that unlike cassidy, victims are often reluctant to come forward with their stories. >> cassidy took the first step which is often the hardest which is telling somebody. >> almost a year to the day after she received that first threatening e-mail cassidy drove with her mom to court. she was nervous. >> really am dreading this right

now. >> she was going watch her hacker plead guilty to three counts of extortion and one count of unauthorized computer access. he apologized for the harm he'd caused and a judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison. cassidy came out of court ready to put this behind her. you've said you don't want this to define the rest of your life obviously. >> no. >> you don't want -- you don't want to give him control over your life. >> no. i want to be able to move on from this, and i think i already have. >> after her year as miss teen usa, cassidy is going back to school to study broadcast journalism. >> i now protect my online privacy -- >> she's also become an advocate for hacking victims working for a security software company to raise awareness about cybersecurity and speaking at schools to tell other teenagers what she's learned. if something like this happens to some other girl out there, if

she gets an e-mail saying i've got photos of you, what does she do? >> please talk to somebody. that's my biggest advice is to tell somebody. to tell somebody who will be able to help you. >> to avoid being hacked expert say never catholic a link or attachment in an e-mail if -- click on a link or attach investment an e-mail if you don't know who sent it or what it is. make sure you regularly update anti-virus software. cassidy has a more low-tech solution for the web cam. >> protect yourself and put a sticker over your web cam. >> a sticker? >> a sticker. you never know who could be watching you at any given time. >> you'll fine more advice on how to protect yourself from these kinds of computer hackers on our website, datelinenbc.com. that's all for now, i'm lester holt. thanks for joining us. good morning.

coming up on "early today," dangerous freezing weather causes hundreds of accidents and pileups from coast to coast, bringing death and dozens of injuries. federal authorities are trying to figure out who fired shots from a car near the delaware home of vice president joe biden. and the super bowl teams, they are set. as seattle and new england clinch their conference championships. it is monday, january 19th. "early today" starts right now. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us today. happy monday to you. i'm betty nguyen. all right. here we go again. frozen roads, round two. in the northeast, there were thousands of accidents yesterday. six people are dead. and this morning the remaining moisture could refreeze making another dangerous day. nbc's chris pollone reports. >> reporter: f