Nintendo hacker faces jail following FBI investigation Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Nintendo hacker faces jail following FBI investigation Which found child abuse images on his computer. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 3 Feb 2020 51 comments A 21-year-old Nintendo hacker has plead guilty to multiple charges, after an FBI investigation uncovered a library of child sexual abuse images on his computer. Ryan Hernandez, from Palmdale, California, used a phishing scam to glean Nintendo employee credentials and access Nintendo Switch developer documentation stored on the company's servers. This was back in 2016, when Hernandez was still classed as a minor. A 2017 FBI investigation resulted in Hernandez and his parents being contacted, and a warning being given. "Hernandez promised to stop any further malicious activity and confirmed that he understood the consequences of any future hacking," a Department of Justice report notes. But Hernandez did not stop. For at least a year up until June 2019, Hernandez continued to access Nintendo servers. He shared details of the Switch's software development kit which was then used to engineer modding tools. And he openly boasted about his success on social media. It was then, in June 2019, the FBI swooped once more. Agents discovered thousands of Nintendo files on Hernandez's computers - and, disturbingly, more than 1000 videos and images showing child sexual abuse. Hernandez has now plead guilty to computer fraud, as the well as the possession of child sexual abuse images. A plea agreement has recommended he serve three years in prison, though his sentence has not been formally set - and the maximum sentence for each charge is far longer. He has already agreed to pay Nintendo over $258k and must now register as a sex offender. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store