Editor's Note: On Dec. 26, 2014, as allowed under California law, the court granted a petition made by the defendant and agreed to set aside and vacate her 2013 'no contest' pleas. It then dismissed the three charges. Therefore, as of that date the defendant no longer had a criminal record relating to the case. As a result, the defendant's name has been removed from the story.

People say it's really hard to completely delete information from a computer. (Name removed) is finding that the district attorney's office believes in that truism -- she pleaded no contest on Friday, Jan. 25, for computer misuse dating back to 2007.

Deputy District Attorney Al Serrato said Ms. (name removed) installed spyware on an ex-boyfriend's computer while she was a student at Stanford University, using the program to capture passwords for her ex and several friends, also students at the university.

Passwords in hand, she then allegedly created fake web pages and email accounts, and set about trying to wreck lives, according to prosecutors. "It went on for months," Mr. Serrato said.

(Name removed) has since graduated from Stanford with a master's degree. She pleaded no contest in San Mateo County Superior Court to one felony and two misdemeanors related to the misuse of computer data, in exchange for not serving more than six months in jail. The court has scheduled sentencing for March 22.