High school hacker looking at 38 years

A California high school student could spend nearly four decades in prison for hacking into his school's computer system..

Prosecutors in Orange County have filed 69 felony counts against 18 year-old Omar Khan. If convicted on all counts, the high school student would face 38 years in prison.

Khan is accused of breaking into the school's computer systems and changing his grades. Prosecutors say that Khan routinely accessed his transcript online and boosted his low or failing grades to "A's", along with altering the results of Advanced Placement tests and installing spyware which allowed him to remotely access the database at a later date.

Charges were also fired for separate incidents in which Khan broke into school offices to access computers and steal materials that school officials say were used to cheat on tests. Khan is also accused of obtaining copies of Advanced Placement tests and distributing them to other students.

Among the counts being filed against Khan are 34 charges of altering a public record, six counts of burglary, seven counts of computer access and fraud and one felony count of conspiracy.

Fellow student Tanvir Singh was charged with four felony counts for aiding in the break-ins. He could face up to three years in prison if convicted.

Though Khan had previously been caught cheating on tests, the school said that it was only made aware of the extent of the student's activities when he requested a copy of his official transcript while applying to the University of California, Berkeley.

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