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British teen hacker jailed two years for cyber terrorism

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British teen hacker jailed two years for 'cyber terrorism'
Kane Gamble arriving at the Old Bailey today (Picture: Central News)

A British teenager who leaked extremely sensitive documents from senior FBI and CIA staff has damaged the effectiveness of the wider law enforcement community, a court heard.

Kane Gamble, 18, blagged his way into the email and phone accounts of senior US intelligence officials and got his hands on military and intelligence operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Old Bailey was told today.

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Between June 2015 and February 2016, he targeted high-profile figures such as then-CIA chief John Brennan and FBI deputy director Mark Giuliano from his family home on a Leicestershire housing estate.

Last October, Gamble, of Linford Crescent, Coalville, pleaded guilty to eight charges of performing a function with intent to secure unauthorised access to computers and two charges of unauthorised modification of computer material.

He was sentenced to two years in jail for cyber terrorism, today.

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The teenager, who was aged 15 and 16 at the time, appeared at the Old Bailey Crown Court in London, supported by his mother.

Prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones QC said aggravating features included the invasion of victims professional and private lives as well as their families.

Pic shows Kane Gamble arriving at the Old Bailey today. Sentence of autistic teenager Kane Gamble for posing as CIA chief John Brennan to hack into top secret military files. SEE STORY CENTRAL NEWS
He arrived with his mother as support (Picture: Central News)

He highlighted the level of sophistication and persistence in the attacks as well as the damage caused.

He said: So many of the American witnesses attest to a drop in confidence in the use of portals, many of the agencies withdrawing their contributions, reducing the effectiveness in the wider law enforcement community in America.

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Mitigating, William Harbage QC described Gambles actions as a naive response to what he read about in online chat rooms.

He said: In a naive, immature and childish way, he thought he could do something about it, he could make a nuisance of himself by targeting people in America and that would somehow get them to change US policy as a result of what he was doing from his bedroom.

He said the defendant never meant to harm and traumatise people on an individual basis.

Harbage added: When members of the families were brought into it, he did not think through the consequences. The thought seems to have been “I want to grab attention of the US government and getting the families involved is some way that will grab attention even more”.

HOUSE NUMBER PIXELATED BY PA PICTURE DESK File photo dated 06/10/2017 of the house in Coalville, Leicestershire, where Kane Gamble hacked into the computers of senior US government officials, the teenager will be sentenced later today.
His house in Coalville, Leicestershire, where Kane Gamble hacked into the computers of senior US government officials, (Picture: PA)

The teenager targeted a Comcast cable TV and broadband account belonging to James Clapper, director of national intelligence under former president Barack Obama.

Other victims included Mr Obamas deputy national security adviser, Avril Haines; his senior science and technology adviser, John Holdren; the then secretary of homeland security, Jeh Johnson; and FBI special agent Amy Hess.

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Gamble used a TV in Mr Johnsons family home to post the message I own you.

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He leaked some of the information he gathered using various websites including WikiLeaks.

Gamble, who was said to have an autistic spectrum disorder, will be sentenced by Mr Justice Haddon-Cave later today.

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Guidelines put the maximum sentence at two years detention and training if Gamble had been dealt with at the time of the offence.

The prosecution has asked for a serious crime prevention order and the confiscation of Gambles computers and iPhone.

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