Blaster virus creator gets jail

[Shawn]

A teenager was sentenced Friday to 1 1/2 years in prison for unleashing an Internet worm that crippled 48,000 computers in 2003.

Jeffrey Lee Parson, 19, of Hopkins, Minn., will serve his time at a low-security prison and must also perform 10 months of community service.

He could have gotten 10 years behind bars, but the judge took pity on him, saying his neglectful parents were to blame for the psychological troubles that led to his actions.

The Internet "has created a dark hole, a dungeon if you will, for people who have mental illnesses or people who are lonely," U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman said. "I didn't see any parent standing there saying, 'It's not a healthy thing to lock yourself in a room and create your own reality.'"

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[Shawn]

I can't tell you how many people found that this damn virus stroked them in the middle of summer session at school. It got into the school's network and screwed with essay due dates. One girl in my class was devastated and sweating to find she couldn't print/finish her paper.

She was lucky that the virus was a pretty big story or she would have been up the creek.

[Ken]

Regardless though, he's simply the fall guy; the "PR" victory.

All he did was create a less-than-impressive variant (out of all at the time, it did the least).

The real creator of blaster remains at large and probably will remain that way.

So let's get one thing straight; Parson didn't create Blaster. I'm not defending him. I think jail time is correct, but he's not the big fish those involved want him to be.

Edited January 31, 2005 by Ken

[Shawn]

I suppose that's right, but to 48000 people his version was the blaster variant they caught.

[Warflower]

Regardless though, he's simply the fall guy; the "PR" victory.

All he did was create a less-than-impressive variant (out of all at the time, it did the least).

The real creator of blaster remains at large and probably will remain that way.

So let's get one thing straight; Parson didn't create Blaster. I'm not defending him. I think jail time is correct, but he's not the big fish those involved want him to be.

interesting...

The parents should have been FINED!

[Redneck4sure]

He knew better. The parents may be sorry but he knew better. The liberals generally make those kinds of excuses for criminals. His dad was a drunk, his mama neglected him, the neighbors beat him...bullshit. I think he should have been given 10 years in prison considering the harm he caused.

[jipper]

lolz, get pwn'ed