California man who leaked pre-release Switch details sentenced to 3 years for Nintendo...

midian182

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What just happened? You might remember the name of Ryan Hernandez, the 21-year-old California man who hacked Nintendo to steal and leak information on the Nintendo Switch before its release. He’s just been sentenced to three years in prison and seven years of supervised release for both that crime and possession of child pornography. Additionally, he must pay Nintendo $259,323 in retribution for damages.

When he was still a teenager back in 2016, Hernandez and an associate phished a Nintendo employee, grabbing their credentials to steal company files that included “pre-release information about the anticipated Nintendo Switch console,” states a news release from the US Attorney for the Western District of Washington.

An FBI investigation identified Hernandez in October 2017, leading to agents tracking him down at his parents’ residence. He swore to stop hacking and confirmed that “he understood the consequences” if he reneged on his promise.

But Hernandez obviously wasn’t concerned about the threat of going to jail. From at least June 2018 to June 2019, he continued hacking Nintendo’s servers, stealing more files relating to “popular video games, gaming consoles, and developer tools.” He boasted about his crimes using online platforms such as Twitter and Discord, and even had his own chat forum called “Ryan’s Underground Hangout,” where he shared the stolen information and vulnerabilities in Nintendo’s network.

Following an FBI raid on his house in June 2019, agents found thousands of confidential Nintendo files. They also discovered a folder called “Bad Stuff” on one of his drives, which contained over one thousand videos and images of child pornography.

Hernandez pled guilty to the hacking and child pornography charges in February. He was yesterday sentenced to three years in “a Bureau of Prisons facility for inmates with cognitive challenges,” after which he will be required to register as a sex offender and complete seven years of supervised release.

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I honestly don't believe most of these "child porn" and "sex offender" raps that the "justice department" uses to hasten the prejudice, incarceration, persecution.

for example: how many people really believe Julian Assange sexually assaulted someone?

Most of the times cyber crime accusations are just an excuse to get access to all the electronic equipment in someone's home with an Electronic warrant.

I don't trust this government AT ALL. cause I've seen it so many times lying.
 
I honestly don't believe most of these "child porn" and "sex offender" raps that the "justice department" uses to hasten the prejudice, incarceration, persecution.

for example: how many people really believe Julian Assange sexually assaulted someone?

Most of the times cyber crime accusations are just an excuse to get access to all the electronic equipment in someone's home with an Electronic warrant.

I don't trust this government AT ALL. cause I've seen it so many times lying.

I agree but not very bright keeping dodgy stuff in a folder with that name, should be something much more mundane. Also are people like this so dumb as to keep things like that in unencrypted devices or folders not a chance. Technically in many parts of the US a topless pic of a 17 year old would qualify, in the UK we put them in a newspaper on page 3!
 
I honestly don't believe most of these "child porn" and "sex offender" raps that the "justice department" uses to hasten the prejudice, incarceration, persecution.

for example: how many people really believe Julian Assange sexually assaulted someone?

Most of the times cyber crime accusations are just an excuse to get access to all the electronic equipment in someone's home with an Electronic warrant.

I don't trust this government AT ALL. cause I've seen it so many times lying.

If they found it then he committed the crime. No excuse and no sympathy.
 
I agree but not very bright keeping dodgy stuff in a folder with that name, should be something much more mundane. Also are people like this so dumb as to keep things like that in unencrypted devices or folders not a chance. Technically in many parts of the US a topless pic of a 17 year old would qualify, in the UK we put them in a newspaper on page 3!


Here's the issue... there's no way of knowing he actually committed the crime. I DO NOT Trust this government.

They could easily upload false evidence on him to make him easier to prosecute.

If it's HIM in the videos committing lewd acts, that's different. Then I'm all for his persecution.
 
I honestly don't believe most of these "child porn" and "sex offender" raps that the "justice department" uses to hasten the prejudice, incarceration, persecution.

for example: how many people really believe Julian Assange sexually assaulted someone?

Most of the times cyber crime accusations are just an excuse to get access to all the electronic equipment in someone's home with an Electronic warrant.

I don't trust this government AT ALL. cause I've seen it so many times lying.
Yes, I'm on the same boat. In Mexico there's a practice of the police planting evidence (drugs) to people of interest. Sometimes evidence is just "evidence". A guy who was already contacted by the FBI and warned, who was so "smart" to keep the hacking simply left an "orgy of evidence"? Is he really that stupid for a "smart ***"?
I mean, "Minority Report" is a fiction movie, but the main character also finds an "orgy of evidence" but he was clever enough to look beyond and smell something fishy.
These processes are not transparent, it's not like the public can audit and verify, because of "public sensitivity". And even if they were public, how could we know if it is real evidence or just some stuff the government agencies already have stored in their databases. Because there are databases to contrast with and train child porn detection AI; just take a look at Microsoft PhotoDNA.
If it's HIM in the videos committing lewd acts, that's different. Then I'm all for his persecution.
Agree, this is key. That's the difference between a witch hunt (pointing the finger to someone you hate, saying she is a witch, and without proof just burn her) and justice.
 
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Yes, I'm on the same boat. In Mexico there's a practice of the police planting evidence (drugs) to people of interest. Sometimes evidence is just "evidence". A guy who was already contacted by the FBI and warned, who was so "smart" to keep the hacking simply left an "orgy of evidence"? Is he really that stupid for a "smart ***"?
I mean, "Minority Report" is a fiction movie, but the main character also finds an "orgy of evidence" but he was clever enough to look beyond and smell something fishy.
These processes are not transparent, it's not like the public can audit and verify, because of "public sensitivity". And even if they were public, how could we know if it is real evidence or just some stuff the government agencies already have stored in their databases. Because there are databases to contrast with and train child porn detection AI; just take a look at Microsoft PhotoDNA.

Agree, this is key. That's the difference between a witch hunt (pointing the finger to someone you hate, saying she is a witch, and without proof just burn her) and justice.


Let's also keep in mind: there is a difference between "overcharging" and "planting evidence".

Planting Evidence is absolutely criminal. ie: they could upload data on his drives and prosecute him.

Overcharging is my problem: it happens way more often.

The punishment should fit the crime.

 
“a Bureau of Prisons facility for inmates with cognitive challenges,” after which he will be required to register as a sex offender and complete seven years of supervised release.

lmao I hope it was worth it being a 1337 hacker and bragging to your boys.

Good luck getting a job when you get out as a registered sex offender.
 
I honestly don't believe most of these "child porn" and "sex offender" raps that the "justice department" uses to hasten the prejudice, incarceration, persecution.

for example: how many people really believe Julian Assange sexually assaulted someone?

Most of the times cyber crime accusations are just an excuse to get access to all the electronic equipment in someone's home with an Electronic warrant.

I don't trust this government AT ALL. cause I've seen it so many times lying.
This is the smartest thing I've ever seen you post.

Here's the issue... there's no way of knowing he actually committed the crime. I DO NOT Trust this government.

They could easily upload false evidence on him to make him easier to prosecute.

If it's HIM in the videos committing lewd acts, that's different. Then I'm all for his persecution.
Well... If you would have been 14 and you were making out with a girl the same age, you recorded it, and kept it until you were an adult, would that be considered child pornography...?
I'm not saying that's what happened, but I do see governments misusing something like that just to persecute someone.
 
They could have baited him to download bunch of stuffs thinking all of them are nintendo tech related stuffs. After he extracted the files they issued search warrant and boom...
 
I agree but not very bright keeping dodgy stuff in a folder with that name
Yeah, but maybe that's the guys point. He was smart enough to hack Nintendo servers but stupid enough to have a folder named that with incriminating things in it.

Seems a little fishy to me.
 
Yeah, but maybe that's the guys point. He was smart enough to hack Nintendo servers but stupid enough to have a folder named that with incriminating things in it.

Seems a little fishy to me.
No I agree, it is very fishy
 
This is the smartest thing I've ever seen you post.


Well... If you would have been 14 and you were making out with a girl the same age, you recorded it, and kept it until you were an adult, would that be considered child pornography...?
I'm not saying that's what happened, but I do see governments misusing something like that just to persecute someone.
Yes it would, but in most countries that would not be prosecuted, not the US though and especially if they want him for other crimes.
 
This headline is the very definition of misleading. He's not going to jail for hacking Nintendo, he's going to jail for child pornography. This guy's one crazy sicko and deserves more than three years for that.

As for the hacking, who cares? Corporations do far worse things than leak data like destroying entire ecosystems with oil spills comes and ripping off millions of people but they get off essentially Scott-free.
 
"Child porn" just isn't very descriptive anymore. Images of 17yo girls is child porn, yet 18 is perfectly fine. Images of your 16yo gf when your 17 is also fine, but its a potential prison sentence in some states if your 18 and a day.

Some things are clearly child porn, especially after age 18. Images of a 12yo or even images of an older girl who is clearly intended to look much younger. Id be super suspect of someone even if the images were verifiably 18+ but they were chosen and outfitted in a way to make them "seem" like they were pre teens for example.

I only say all of this because ive seen people charged as a pedophile for getting drunk and pissing in public and being seen by a child. That makes you stupid, not a pedophile. Its a teaching moment for the child "see that dumb half naked man peeing on himself? That's what happens when you drink yourself into a stuper out in public." Don't be like him.
 
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