A federal judge ordered a computer hacker to spend a year in a rehabilitation center to treat what was called his addiction to computer tampering.
Kevin Mitnick, who authorities had described as too dangerous to be allowed near a telephone alone for fear he might access computers, was placed this week in the custody of Gateways Hospital's rehabilitation program.U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer will decide whether Mitnick should also be sentenced to prison.
Mitnick, 25, pleaded guilty in March to computer fraud and possessing unauthorized long-distance telephone codes.
He previously was convicted of using unauthorized MCI long-distance codes to tap into computers at Leeds University in England and the University of Southern California and of causing million of dollars in damage to a Digital Equipment Corp. computer system.
Both Harriet Rossetto, the rehabilitation program's director, and U.S. Attorney James R. Asperger said Mitnick's case was the first they had heard of in which a person charged with computer hacking had been treated as an addict.
Rossetto testified that Mitnick has an "impulse disorder," and would benefit from treatment.