Brit Fined For Hacking U.S. Military Computer

A 19-year-old music student was fined $1,900 Friday for hacking into the U.S. Air Force computer system.

Richard Pryce pleaded guilty to 12 offenses under Britain’s Computer Misuse Act and also was ordered to pay $400 toward costs at Bow Street Magistrates Court.

Pryce could have been jailed, but his lawyer argued that he had merely been motivated by the curiosity of a teenager and did not cause any problems in the U.S. military computer or disclose any sensitive information.

Pryce was 16 in 1994 when he gained access to the U.S. military computer using a personal computer in his bedroom. Scotland Yard raided his home and arrested him.