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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