Lulzsec Hackers Face Jail Time; FBI and U.S. Senate Among Their Victims

Four members of the popular hacktivist group Lulz Sec were sentenced to jail time Thursday by a London judge, according to PCMag.com.

The hackers were given the below sentences according to the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service:

Ryan Cleary, 21: 32 months

Jake Davis, 20: 24 months to be served in a Young Offenders institution

Ryan Ackroyd, 26: 30 months

Mustafa Al-Bassam, 18: 20 months, suspended for two years and 200 hours of community service.

However, reports say the first three individuals will only serve 50 percent of their sentences.

"The harm they caused was foreseeable, extensive and intended," said CPS London reviewing lawyer Andrew Hadik, through a statement. "Indeed, they boasted of how clever they were with a complete disregard for the impact their actions had on real people's lives."

Hadik specifically pointed to an incident where one American executive had to leave his job and move his family due to incoming death threats.

The group went on a hacking rampage in 2011 attacking porn sites, emails, the U.S. Senate, an FBI affiliate, and Sony. At one point the hackers publicized 26,000 passwords and emails from porn sites. LulzSec seemed like it was taunting authorities when it said it would not stop hacking until “we’re brought to justice which we might well be. “

The group was led by Matthew Flannery, a 24-year old Australian citizen, who is now facing up to 12 years in prison on three charges related to hacking.

"Coordinating and carrying out these attacks from the safety of their own bedrooms may have made the group feel detached from the consequences of their actions," said Hadik. "But to say it was all a bit of fun in no way reflects the reality of their actions. They were in fact committing serious criminal offenses for which they have been successfully prosecuted. This case should serve as a warning to other cyber-criminals that they are not invincible."