A New Zealand teenager who admitted illegally hacking into a computer system at a university in the United States was discharged without conviction Tuesday but ordered to pay some costs for his actions.

Owen Thor Walker, 18, known by his online name “AKILL,” was involved in a network accused of infiltrating 1.3 million computers around the world and skimming millions of dollars from victims’ bank accounts.

Walker earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of accessing a computer for dishonest functions, two

charges of accessing computer systems without authorization, one of damaging or interfering with computer systems and one of possessing software for committing crime.

The charges stemmed from a 2006 attack on the computer system at the University of Pennsylvania’s engineering school.

Walker faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each charge, but on Tuesday the charges were dismissed and he was released without a criminal record.

Prosecutor Ross Douch […]

Orginal post by Top Tech News