Paris Hilton hacker sent to jail

17 year-old facing 11 months in chokey

Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com 16 Sep 2005

A 17 year-old who earlier this year hacked into Paris Hilton's mobile phone has been convicted to an 11-month jail term in juvenile prison, the US Attorney of the District of Massachusetts said in a statement.

In the high-profile hack last January, the computer whiz-kid gained access to Hilton's mobile device by hacking into the operator's computer systems.

He then published the phone number of numerous celebrities found in the phone's address book, including Cristina Aguilera, Anna Kournikova and Eminem.

Hilton, an heir to the Hilton hotel fortune, became known as the world's most spoiled rich girl after appearing in the US TV show The Simple Life. Also in 2004, a movie made its way onto the internet of Hilton having sex while talking on her mobile phone.

The convicted teen was also allegedly involved with breaking into the LexisNexis database, hacking into a mobile operator to provide him with a free service and breaking into a major internet provider, reportedly AOL.

The 17 year-old pleaded guilty to all charges, including hacking into the internet and telephone providers, together with theft of personal information and its disclosure on the web. He also admitted to making bomb threats against schools.

Following his jail term, the hacker is banned from owning or using any computer, mobile phone or other equipment with internet access for a period of two years.

Authorities did not release the culprit's name because of his age. The US Attorney said that the total damages of his actions are estimated to be $1m.

The case would normally have been kept under seal, but the judge allowed limited disclosure at the request of the defendant and the government.

US Attorney Michael Sullivan warned that this case sets an example for other would-be hackers.

"Computer hacking is not fun and games," he said in a statement. "Would-be hackers, even juveniles when appropriate, should be put on notice that such criminal activity will not be tolerated and that stiff punishments await them if they are caught."

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