FBI Investigates Former 'Access Hollywood' Host For Snooping

Posted by Eriq Gardner

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the FBI has launched a probe to determine whether CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte, best known as a former anchor of "Access Hollywood," opened up a female co-anchor's e-mail, read, and then leaked it to the media.

Mendte is being investigated for violating a computer-fraud law prohibiting unauthorized access.

In this case, Mendte allegedly spied on Alycia Lane, who became a celebrity after she reportedly e-mailed pictures of herself in a bikini to NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen. Those photos ended up in New York Post's Page Six gossip column and led to her name being one of the most popular search phrases on the Internet for awhile. Some time after that, under increasing media scrutiny, she allegedly assaulted a NYPD officer, and on New Year's Day got terminated from her Philadelphia news desk.

Lane threatened to sue CBS3 for wrongful termination and now there's speculation, given the news about the FBI probe, that Mendte may have played a part in the media gossip. Sure to be an interesting deposition.