A teenager, Aaron Coster has been sentenced for hacking into 100 computers across the UK, Europe and America to steal personal bank details and also for downloading indecent images of children from the internet. He had used the money to buy computer equipment and games for himself.
“He used this information to order for himself computer equipment and games, some of which were still present when police searched his address. These activities came to light when a UK resident spotted that his computer identity was being used to place orders, and reported him to the police”, said the spokesman.
He pleaded guilty to nine offences at a hearing in November last year. Out of those nine , the three offences where : unauthorized computer access, fraud by false representation, three of making an indecent image of a child, and one of possession of an extreme pornographic image.
The 18-year-old was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years at Hove Crown Court and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last 10 years which restricts his access to computers, and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.
Detective Constable David Hull, of the Surrey and Sussex Cyber Crime Unit, said “Although still living at home, Coster had become very skilled and adept in the use of computer technology. We hope that the sentencing will encourage him to put his skills to legitimate use to the benefit of law-abiding society”.