In exclusive interview, hacker detailed addiction that led to massive school data breach.
In exclusive interview, hacker detailed addiction that led to massive school data breach.
In exclusive interview, hacker detailed addiction that led to massive school data breach.
Former Massachusetts college student Matthew Lane is serving time in federal prison for hacking and, in a new interview, says that's exactly where he belongs.
"I was so done. I'm so thankful I got caught. I really am," the 20-year-old told ABC News in an exclusive interview .
Last May, Lane was charged with hacking into PowerSchool, a program used by school districts in Massachusetts and across the country. That breach put the data of 60 million children and 10 million teachers at risk.
Lane said his addiction to hacking began when he was just 14 years old. He wanted to be able to cheat on gaming platforms like Roblox.
"You see other people, they got crazy stuff in game, or they're killing you over and over again with some crazy stuff," he said. "You're like, 'How are they doing that? I want to do that.' It's a very toxic and edgy corner of the internet."
Like others, Lane said learning how to hack games opened a darker door where he could exploit online vulnerabilities for profit.
And he's far from alone.
An ABC News investigation revealed the average age of arrest for a cybercrime in this country is now 19 years old.
For Lane, that arrest came at Assumption College in the early morning hours of April 29, 2025.
"The man is pounding at my door, saying, 'FBI, we have a warrant for Matthew Lane. You need to open this door right now,'" he said.
Last year, Lane pleaded guilty to four charges related to unauthorized computer access, identity theft and cyber extortion. He was sentenced to four years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $14 million in restitution.
He said his mission now is to help other teens avoid his fate.
"Whether it be their own devices, their insecurities, their mental health, the upbringing, stuff like that, and they fall down this path of criminality, and I want to help kids not go down that path," he said. "I want to be a cautionary tale."
In a statement on the interview, PowerSchool told ABC News in part:
"PowerSchool appreciates the efforts of the prosecutors and law enforcement who brought this individual to justice. Since the moment we became aware of this incident, we have remained focused on supporting our school partners and safeguarding student, family, and educator data ... We strictly and proactively follow all legal, regulatory, and voluntary requirements for protecting student privacy , including federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and state regulations."
As for his own future, Lane is very clear.
"I think I need to go to prison for what I did," he said. "And I'm OK with that."
You can see more on the ABC News Investigation: "Minor Mayhem: The Hackers of Gen Z" Tuesday on "Good Morning America" and on "Nightline" — both here on WCVB.
The full story
This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.
