Ashton Kutcher ‘Swatting’ Suspect Is Only 12 Years Old
Los Angeles, CA – The suspect recently apprehended in the Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber “swatting” case is reportedly only 12 years old.
Authorities said the boy spends most of his days sitting at his computer instead of hanging out with friends or attending school. According to TMZ, the pre-teen hacker currently resides with his mother in California.
Rumors also suggest the 12-year-old suspect is currently living in a very unstable environment. In fact, authorities are currently in the process of removing the child from his mother’s care. Authorities describe the family as “incredibly dysfunctional.”
The San Jose Mercury News reports the suspect often wiles away the hours communicating with other hackers on the internet. Authorities are convinced this is how the unidentified juvenile was able to obtain the addresses of his celebrity targets.
At present, police say the boy has not been charged with any crimes.
“It’s currently still under investigation; our detectives are in contact with the LAPD detectives in regard to their arrest,” Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Lincoln Hoshino explained.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a number of celebrities and businesses have been targeted by hackers over the past 12 months. In addition to Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber, someone decided to play these dangerous pranks on Miley Cyrus and Simon Cowell.
Police told CNN that “swatting” occurs when “computer hackers utilize their skills to place false emergency calls of serious crimes in progress to law enforcement and fire dispatch centers, thus causing a large number of first responders [to arrive.] The swatting practice is extremely dangerous and places first responders and citizens in harm’s way.”
Although no one has been hurt as a result of the prank calls as of this writing, authorities are concerned that someone could get seriously injured during these “swatting” incidents. Police also stated they were currently looking into other suspects.
What do you think should happen to the 12-year-old boy accused of “swatting” Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber?
