21-year-old British man jailed for Facebook account hack
updated 02:49 pm EDT, Fri May 18, 2012
British man jailed for 12 years following FBI and PCeU investigation
A 21-year-old British man has been jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to hacking a Facebook account. Gareth Crosskey of West Sussex appeared this week in Southwark Crown Court, where he was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for breaking the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
Crosskey gained access to the victim's Facebook profile and in turn an associated e-mail account in January 2011. What further actions were taken against the unnamed victim is not known, but a report of intrusion was made to the FBI, which turned it over to the Police Central e-Crime Unit in the UK once the suspect was located. Police arrested Crosskey and analyzed computers and storage devices in his home.
“Today's result should act as a deterrant to any individuals thinking of participating in this type of criminal activity,” the PCeU said in a statement.
