In a landmark ruling on Thursday, 18-year-old hacker Arion Kurtaj, central to the Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) footage leak, has been sentenced to life in a secure hospital prison. The British judge’s decision is based on Kurtaj’s continued inclination towards cybercrimes, posing a high risk to the public.
Kurtaj gained notoriety in August when a London jury found him guilty of cyberattacks against prominent entities, including GTA VI developer Rockstar Games, ride-sharing giant Uber, and graphics card manufacturer Nvidia. Despite being diagnosed with autism and initially deemed unfit for trial, the focus of the jury was on establishing his involvement in the cybercrimes rather than his criminal intent.
During the recent court hearing, reports surfaced detailing Kurtaj’s violent behavior while in custody, involving instances of injury and property damage. A mental health evaluation reinforced his persistent intent to engage in cybercrimes imminently. The indefinite confinement within the hospital prison is contingent on periodic reassessments by medical professionals regarding the risk he poses to the public.
While on bail for hacking Nvidia and British telecom provider BT/EE, Kurtaj leaked 90 videos of GTA VI gameplay in September. Even under police protection at a hotel, he orchestrated an attack on Rockstar Games using an Amazon Fire Stick and a newly acquired smartphone, keyboard, and mouse. Kurtaj was subsequently arrested following the incident.
Another individual, a 17-year-old associated with the hacking group Lapsus$, received an 18-month community sentence known as a Youth Rehabilitation Order, coupled with a ban from utilizing virtual private networks.
Despite the premature release and the trove of leaked videos by Kurtaj, the official GTA VI trailer debuted earlier this month, amassing millions of views. Kurtaj’s defense highlighted the trailer’s success during the sentencing, but the judge emphasized the tangible impact on real companies and individuals affected by Lapsus$. Rockstar Games reported spending $5 million on recovery efforts following the cyberattack.
