Published 21:17 IST, December 23rd 2023
GTA 6 leaks' teen hacker sentenced to life in cyber hospital
Arion Kurtaj, a British teenager engaged in a hacking spree, has received an indefinite hospital order for stealing 90 clips.
Arion Kurtaj, a British teenager engaged in a hacking spree, has received an indefinite hospital order for stealing 90 clips from the unreleased Grand Theft Auto 6 game. A skilled 18-year-old hacker from Oxford, diagnosed with autism, played a crucial role in Lapsus$, a cybercrime gang that targeted tech giants like Uber and Nvidia, causing millions in damages, as per a UK media report.
British teenager given a life sentence here's why
Deemed a public threat due to his talent and intent, he received an indefinite hospital order, remaining confined until doctors judged him safe. The court heard that Kurtaj had exhibited violence while in custody, with dozens of reports of injury or property damage. Doctors found Kurtaj unfit to stand trial due to his acute autism, so the jury was tasked with determining whether or not he committed the alleged acts, rather than assessing if he did so with criminal intent, as reported by the news portal.
Even after authorities seized his laptop, Kurtaj executed his cyber attack using an Amazon Firestick, his hotel television, and a mobile phone, reported The Guardian. He infiltrated the company's internal Slack messaging system, announcing, "If Rockstar does not contact me on Telegram within 24 hours, I will start releasing the source code."
In the same trial, another member of Lapsus$, aged 17 and protected by legal anonymity, faced convictions. The charges against them encompassed two counts of fraud, two offences under the Computer Misuse Act, and one count of blackmail. On Thursday, they received a youth rehabilitation order at Guildford Crown Court in Surrey. Earlier this month, the GTA 6 trailer was released, garnering a staggering 128 million views on YouTube within a mere four days.
Updated 21:17 IST, December 23rd 2023