The hacker with Anonymous that exposed the Steubenville rape suspect is facing 10 years incarceration for leading a computer-hacking operation against the suspects of the Steubenville rape. The two players from the town’s high school football team convicted of raping a 16-year old girl only received one to two years incarceration.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the home of Anonymous-faction leader Deric Lostutter, hacker moniker “KYAnonynous,” in April. Lostutter led the KnightSec faction of the hacker group in the acquisition and distribution of tweets and photos of the assault and humiliation of the victim. The faction took the information and images and showed them in a video hosted by Lostutter, demanding that the players apologize for their actions or else further action will take place.
Two of the boys related to the attack were convicted. Back in March, a jury in Ohio found Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond of Steubenville, Ohio, guilty of sexual assault. Upon conviction, Richmond received one year at a juvenile detention center and Mays received two years for the rape and posting images of the attack on the internet. Now, the two boys must register as sex offenders.
Meanwhile, when the FBI came up the Lostutter’s door, a dozen agents rushed into his home with assault rifles and held him at gunpoint like he was some drug-dealing pederast. And for what, exactly? Lostutter stood up and fought for an innocent victim who was probably too hurt and scared to fight for herself. What’s worse about Lostutter’s case is the projected incarceration time. Lotsutter is staring down the barrel of a daunting 10 year prison sentence, even though he himself “says he played no role in hacking the team’s fan page,” for which another hacker takes credit.
Regardless of whether or not Lostutter had a hand in hacking the Steubenville High School football fanpage, 10 years is an immensely harsh sentence to place upon someone for trying to earn vindication for the victim and her family by ensuring receipt of a public apology. Lostutter has started raising funds to pay for his defense, which is projected to be up to $500,000.
Joshua de Leon is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire.
