Hacker Who Impersonated Gates Escapes Jail

L O N D O N, July 6, 2001 -- A teenage computer hacker who stole credit card information from thousands of people and used BillGates' card details to send Viagra to the Microsoft chief escaped a jail sentence in a Welsh court today.

Judge Gareth Davies ruled that Raphael Gray, 19, who was arrested in March last year in an FBI and Welsh police swoop on his home village of Clynderwen, should instead undergopsychiatric treatment.

"He has a community rehabilitation order for three years, with psychiatric treatment," a Swansea Crown Court official said.

Proving Poor Security

The court heard that Gray, the self-styled "Saint ofE-commerce" had hacked into Web sites from his bedroom anddisplayed credit card details of thousands of people to showhow bad computer security was.

Gray pleaded guilty to 10 counts of computer fraud althoughhe had not gained financially from his crimes.

Afterward, he told reporters: "I would do it all again butanother time I would choose to ensure that I acted legally."

The judge considered jailing Gray, but medical reportsshowed that his mental state had deteriorated after he fell andhit his head when he was 14 years old.

Was Melinda Happy?

Gray hacked into retail Web sites in Britain, the UnitedStates, Canada and Thailand between January and February 1999.

He used Gates' details to have the male anti-impotencedrug Viagra sent to the world's richest man's address.

Credit card companies incurred heavy costs canceling theaccounts of people whose card details he displayed on hisWeb sites.

Gray's defense counsel, Colin Nicholls, described hisclient as "highly strung, if not disturbed."

Gray was unemployed at the time of the offenses but hassince been given a job by a computer software company.