BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – A 22-calendar year-aged Chico male was sentenced to probation, fines and local community services right after admitting to illegally hacking a number of desktops at Chico Condition.
Alejandro Benitez appeared in Butte County Excellent Court docket on Thursday exactly where he entered a plea of no contest to the crime of unauthorized personal computer entry.
Butte County Top-quality Court Commissioner Kurt Worley sentenced Benitez to three several years of probation and fines of $370.
Butte County District Legal professional Mike Ramsey claimed the unlawful “hacking” led to a listing of University college students who had used for COVID-19 vaccine exemptions being posted online.
The list provided requests from about 130 college students – 18 of the entries had students’ personal determining info.
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An investigation by University Police of the posted spreadsheet was traced back again to Benitez, a current Chico Point out graduate who worked in the Facts Technology Support Expert services Business office (ITSS), according to Ramsey.
University Law enforcement also said it was identified that a Chico State professor had notified the media of the on the net posts. Ramsey explained the professor also explained to law enforcement about the posts.
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In accordance to Ramsey, the professor “alerted his union and the media with the hope any potential civil rights and privacy violations would be investigated.”
The professor does not experience rates. Ramsey explained the professor’s steps had been not prison as the legal perform, in this case, was unlawfully accessing the University’s personal computers.
By illegally accessing and downloading information throughout his employment from at minimum two computers assigned to Chico State administrators, Benitez was capable to get the private exemptions listing.
According to Ramsey, Benitez tried using to redact students’ personalized details but unsuccessful to take away details found in other columns of the spreadsheet.
Ramsey claimed the phrases of Benitez’s probation involve 80 several hours of local community assistance and a prohibition from accepting work where by he could have obtain to a laptop or computer except if authorized by the court.
Commissioner Worley mentioned Benitez will be necessary to serve a minimum of 180 times in Butte County Jail for any probation violations.
