Ga. Tech student gets diversion program for Georgia schedule hacking
A Georgia Tech student who allegedly hacked into Georgia's computer network was accepted into a pretrial diversion program.
If Ryan Gregory Pickren completes the program, the felony computer trespass charge against him will be dismissed.
What did Pickren do when he allegedly hacked into the UGA system? We'll let OnlineAthens.com take it from here:
Authorities said Pickren made the post on UGA’s online calendar on Nov. 27, two days before the gridiron match-up. The posting, which was added below the legitimate entry for the game, read, “Sat., November 29, 2014/ 12:00 pm/ Get Ass Kicked by GT.”
Tom Jackson, UGA’s vice president for public affairs, said the calendar hack was discovered shortly after it was posted on Thanksgiving and taken down about an hour after it appeared.
It's worth noting that yes, Georgia Tech did back up Pickren's words. The Yellow Jackets beat the Bulldogs 30-24.
(We'll admit that it seems a bit absurd that a felony charge stems from a simple phrase, computer hacking is – rightfully – taken seriously)
Pickren was indicted by a grand jury on Dec. 16 and arrested on Dec. 23 after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. If he was to enter the trial and be convicted, he could face a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
