Man Gets 18 Years in Prison for Hacking Neighbor's WiFi: Fair or Foul?
SodaHead News
July 13, 2011 22:00:00
|
|
|||||
|
267 votes
|
|
55% | |||
|
163 votes
|
|
34% | |||
|
52 votes
|
|
11% | |||
It used to be you would go to war with your neighbor over whose responsibility it was to mow that thin patch of grass between your houses, or come to blows over that pair of hedge clippers that was "borrowed" and never returned to your shed.
Matt and Bethany Kostolnik wish their neighbor had only been pilfering their garden tools. Instead, Minnesota prosecutors handed down an 18-year prison sentence on Barry Ardolf, their 46-year-old neighbor, who officials said unleashed a reign of cyber-terror on the couple that turned their lives into a living hell.
Described as a "depraved criminal" by prosecutors, Ardolf was found guilty of repeatedly hacking into the Kostolnik's WiFi network in 2009 in an attempt to frame them for child pornography, sexual harassment and for sending threatening e-mails to a number of politicians, including Vice President Joe Biden.
Apparently Ardolf unleashed his cyber war to get revenge on his neighbors after they told police that he'd kissed their 4-year-old son on the lips.
“Barry Ardolf has demonstrated by his conduct that he is a dangerous man. When he became angry at his neighbors, he vented his anger in a bizarre and calculated campaign of terror against them," said prosecutor Timothy Rank. “And he did not wage this campaign in the light of day, but rather used his computer hacking skills to strike at his victims while hiding in the shadows.
Ardolf's attorney called the sentence a lengthy one for a first offender with no criminal record, who must also forfeit his house and computer equipment. An investigation found that Ardolf, the father of two children, had also hijacked other neighbor's WiFi and terrorized them as well.
The defendant turned down a two-year plea deal last year in the Biden e-mail charges and then authorities added a raft of other charges, including identity theft and two child porn allegations, which carry lifetime sex-offender registration requirements. He pleaded guilty to all the charges last year.
Was 18 years too much for the WiFi hijacker?
Matt and Bethany Kostolnik wish their neighbor had only been pilfering their garden tools. Instead, Minnesota prosecutors handed down an 18-year prison sentence on Barry Ardolf, their 46-year-old neighbor, who officials said unleashed a reign of cyber-terror on the couple that turned their lives into a living hell.
Described as a "depraved criminal" by prosecutors, Ardolf was found guilty of repeatedly hacking into the Kostolnik's WiFi network in 2009 in an attempt to frame them for child pornography, sexual harassment and for sending threatening e-mails to a number of politicians, including Vice President Joe Biden.
Apparently Ardolf unleashed his cyber war to get revenge on his neighbors after they told police that he'd kissed their 4-year-old son on the lips.
“Barry Ardolf has demonstrated by his conduct that he is a dangerous man. When he became angry at his neighbors, he vented his anger in a bizarre and calculated campaign of terror against them," said prosecutor Timothy Rank. “And he did not wage this campaign in the light of day, but rather used his computer hacking skills to strike at his victims while hiding in the shadows.
Ardolf's attorney called the sentence a lengthy one for a first offender with no criminal record, who must also forfeit his house and computer equipment. An investigation found that Ardolf, the father of two children, had also hijacked other neighbor's WiFi and terrorized them as well.
The defendant turned down a two-year plea deal last year in the Biden e-mail charges and then authorities added a raft of other charges, including identity theft and two child porn allegations, which carry lifetime sex-offender registration requirements. He pleaded guilty to all the charges last year.
Was 18 years too much for the WiFi hijacker?
More polls by SodaHead News
Top Opinion
-
The River Rat July 13, 2011 22:45:27Fair
+7In fact, I think that he should have gotten even more time. Scum like this should not be turned back loose on society.
See Votes by State
Loading map...
News & Politics
May 25, 2012 20:44:15
Hot Questions on SodaHead
-
Who's the Hottest Male Actor Over 50?
-
What Was the Best Season Finale?
-
Who's the Meanest Reality TV Judge?
- View more slideshows »
"
Ardolf downloaded Wi-Fi hacking software and spent two weeks cracking the Kostolnik’s WEP encryption. Then he used their own Wi-Fi network to create a fake MySpace page for the husband, where he posted a picture of a pubescent girl having sex with two young boys. Under the “about me” section, he wrote:"
You don't need to be a hacker to crack WEP. It is notoriously unsecure.
The article goes on to highlight how the guy sent emails from the genuine Yahoo account of the husband despite the Secret Service finding the "hackers" Comcast account on the headers.
18 years is excessive. Should he get prison time? Sure. But 18 years is the equivalent of charging someone grand larceny life for stealing a TV. The lawyer next-door accused the guy of sexual assault of his four year old, so the guy commits more crime in response? If you're a murder, you don't go around holding bloody knives. If you're a pedophile, you don't go around spreading child porn.
He didn't steal anyones identity, he didn't steal from them, and there wasn't any assault. His "danger" is non-existent. People are just afraid because someone was smart enough to read a book, and his neighbors weren't smart enough to lock their virtual doors.
I'm sorry you don't see it, but am thankful the vast majority of others do.
Speaking of ruining reputations, this neighbor and his wife filed chargers of pedophilia--which went no where. You see, like rape, child abuse is one of those things that don't leave you alone. An allegation is enough to ruin your reputation.
So, according to your obviously flawed logic, the lawyer should go to jail for libel.
http://truxtertech.com
Works for me!
Now, what do you think? Still just a year?
So, why don't you deserve to live?
Why would the idea of God be idiotic?