An American hacker who helped Whitianga teenager Owen Thor Walker mount his spectacular cyber-attack has been given a much tougher sentence.
A US District Court judge in Philadelphia has sentenced 22-year-old Ryan Goldstein to three months in prison, and six months under house arrest.
Earlier this year, Walker was discharged without conviction at the High Court in Hamilton after admitting cyber crime charges with police indicating they might be able to use his skills on the right side of the law.
But the US Judge said he felt jail time was necessary for Goldstein because the FBI also found images of child pornography on his computer.
RadioLIVE