Convicted Sarah Palin E-Mail Hacker Reports To Kentucky Prison Camp

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A former Tennessee college student who was convicted of hacking Sarah Palin's e-mail account has reported to an unfenced federal prison camp in Kentucky to begin a yearlong sentence.

A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman said 23-year-old David Kernell reported Monday to the minimum security camp at Ashland, Ky.

A Knoxville jury last April convicted Kernell of unauthorized access to a protected computer and destroying records to impede a federal investigation. The jury acquitted him of wire fraud and deadlocked on an identity theft charge.

The former Alaska governor and her daughter Bristol testified that the hacking, followed by Kernell's online bragging and providing a password and Palin family telephone numbers to others, caused them emotional hardship.

Comments

[love2win2]

03:50 PM on 01/15/2011

I am confused by all of this! Why did SP & her staff (when she was Governor) not get charged with hacking? They did the same thing while she was in office. Is it because she could set the rules for herself?

[Rileyman]

11:28 AM on 01/14/2011

I guess Sarah is so caught up in herself that she just plain forgot her Christian option to forgive those who tresspass against her..??

[CarolinaYankee]

09:59 AM on 01/14/2011

Wow this guy got a harsh sentence. O'Keefe got nada

[faith]

12:45 PM on 01/14/2011

I agree. It certainly does not seem equitable in the least.

[CarolinaYankee]

03:25 PM on 01/14/2011

fanned, thanks for agreeing, I think it is ridiculous...

[rmonroe]

01:08 PM on 01/14/2011

Isn't that a bunch of nonsense. O'Keefe illegally tries to wiretap a government official and gets off with nothing, and this guy just hacks into Palin's email and gets a year in prison. What a screwed up country this is.

[Colmore]

09:44 AM on 01/14/2011

Is this the one that Bristol claimed "posted photos of MY baby on line" when this happened the year BEFORE Tripp was born??

[Ramirez]

09:36 AM on 01/14/2011

Do the crime, face the consequences.

On a positive note, maybe college kids around the nation will learn something from this.

[jerzygurl]

09:11 AM on 01/14/2011

I hope Mr. Kernell takes the time to reflect on his crimes.

[rebel9999]

09:10 AM on 01/14/2011

This isn't much different than going into someone's mail box. I was surprised his Dad couldn't get him out of it.

[Supersteel]

09:08 AM on 01/14/2011

He committed a crime and deserves to pay. It's ridiculous to excuse it just because you hate Palin.

[goleafsgo]

10:28 AM on 01/14/2011

No one really excuses what he did.  It is the inequality of justice,  the irony of justice that makes people ticked off with her.

[pfz]

11:00 AM on 01/14/2011

Yes it is and I do not like Palin (hate is a bit strong) but I agree. It doesn't matter who the victim is, whether it was you or me or a professional victim like Palin.

[Supersteel]

11:22 AM on 01/14/2011

I as exaggerating. My main point was you can recognize a clear crime and condemn it w/o endorsing everything the person stands for or agreeing that they are a victim every time they claimt to be.

[ljc]

08:59 AM on 01/14/2011

Well...now she can add another knotch to her win belt.

[hacharacter]

08:56 AM on 01/14/2011

That is amazing. She presses charges because of hacking which is wrong, but no real damage was done by him,

[INDIVIDUALTERRY]

09:42 AM on 01/14/2011

He is exactly where he belongs.
If he did this to your family i bet you would not be so casual about it.

[madrediterra]

10:51 AM on 01/14/2011

If I complained the authorities would be casual about it.

[missmanners]

08:50 AM on 01/14/2011

the sentence is too damn high!

[Clovie]

08:49 AM on 01/14/2011

"Hacker" is a little strong, don't you think? The kid guessed her "secret questions".

[McCorbin100107]

08:28 AM on 01/14/2011

Funny how that governmenty thing works aint it Sarah?

[GraniteSkyline]

08:21 AM on 01/14/2011

He shouldn't get a harsher sentence than James O'Keefe. O'Keefe only ever got probation and a small fine.

[anothervoice]

07:45 AM on 01/14/2011

One wonders if he'd be going to prison camp if he had hacked an ordinary citizen's emails.

[pfz]

11:01 AM on 01/14/2011

Yes and you can check that out yourself.