Crime & Safety

Racy Photo Displayed in Classroom Courtesy of Teen Hacker, Deputies Say

The New Port Richey, Fla., boy is also accused of accessing 2014 FCAT information.

A middle school student’s day after April Fool’s Day prank ended with handcuffs instead of laughs.

The 14-year-old boy is accused of logging into multiple networked computers using an administrative level account at Paul R. Smith Middle School, 1410 Sweetbriar Drive, in Holiday. It seems the crime in question unfolded around 12:15 p.m. April 2 when the boy is accused of using a computer owned by Pasco County Schools to access the server that contains 2014 FCAT information, according to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.

“The defendant also used the aforementioned administrative account to take control of a teacher’s computer and display an image of two men kissing,” Det. Anthony Bossone wrote in the report.

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That display, unsurprisingly, disrupted normal activities in the classroom.

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The teen’s use of the unauthorized account and access to the two computers was recorded by a staff member at the school, the report stated.

When questioned, the boy admitted to the offense, Bossone noted.

The boy, who is not being identified by Patch, was charged Wednesday, April 8 with a felony count of offense against a computer system/unauthorized access, the sheriff’s office wrote in an email to media.

The foray into the server that contained FCAT data did not compromise any of the information, Pasco County School District officials say.

“No FCAT data was compromised; it’s encrypted,” explained district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe.

Deputies did not say how the teen managed to gain access to an administrative-level account. Cobbe noted that the investigation is ongoing.

As for the classroom where the photo was displayed, the report does not elaborate on how long it took to get a bunch of middle school students back on task.

Stay with Patch for updates as they become available

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