Teenager Charged in Air Tower Hacking

A teenager who admitted that he crippled an airport control tower has become the first juvenile charged in federal court with computer hacking. The Justice Department said the Massachusetts boy, whose name, age and hometown were not disclosed, has agreed to plead guilty. A pending plea bargain calls for the boy to get two years’ probation, a fine and a requirement to perform community service. The boy broke into a computer system on March 10, 1997, causing a system crash that knocked out power and communications at Worcester Airport. No accidents or close calls resulted.