
it's all true
>He avoided a stretch behind bars after the court heard the teen suffered from a mental illness at the time of the web assaults, had dropped out of school and shunned his family, but had later showed "complete and genuine remorse."'
It's a true defense. At least 2/4 to 3/4 of it anyway.
Getting cuffed at 16 probably helped too. He picked the right time to go black hat, and can expect a lucrative career in the cyber realm soon, making more money than you make.