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Father Of 16-Year-Old Accused Of Cyber Attacks On Miami-Dade Schools: 'It's A Game To Show His Friends'

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - David Oliveros, the father of the 16-year-old student accused of cyber attacks against Miami-Dade Schools spoke exclusively with CBS4, saying he is embarrassed by what his son did.

David Oliveros, who shares the same name as his father, is a junior at South Miami High School.

Schools police said Oliveros confessed to 8 cyber attacks on the school system.

"He is a magnificent kid," said the father. "I feel embarrassed for what happened and what he did. It was wrong but a kid stuck in the house all day with this problem and messing with the computer, he found a way to do it and he did it like it was a game. He's a kid of 16 years old and he does not have any bad intent. He does not have criminal experience in the streets. He knows it was bad what he did but it was not intentional. We had a conversation about this."

Schools police say Oliveros used his gaming console to attack the network and say he was identified through his IP address. He is charged with using his computer in an attempt to defraud—a 3rd-degree felony and interfering with an educational institution —- a 2nd-degree misdemeanor. Schools police have confiscated his computer and gaming console.

David Oliveros
David Oliveros (Source: Miami-Dade Corrections)

Oliveros said of his son, "Nobody told him to do anything bad and what to do. It was a game. My son spends all day on his computer playing with it. He doesn't do anything else."

He was asked why his son launched the attacks.

"It's a game," he said. "It's a game to show his friends. But it's not a game. It is not something he should have done."

D'Oench also tried to speak with Oliveros' mother at the family's home just south of Miami International Airport. Through a ring cam, she said "Like I said yesterday. We want our privacy and you are trespassing."

The only activity at the home on Friday occurred when groceries were delivered to the home.

Next-door neighbors continued to speak out.

Max who did not want to give his last name said "He is just an average 16-year-old boy with too much time on his hands. I don't think there was malicious intent for what he did. What he did was wrong but he is being painted like he is something else. I have lived here for 3 years and he is a very nice kid. He is very quiet and soft-spoken and very respectful."

Mary who also did not want to give her last name said "He's just a normal kid like other kids. He lives in the house with his family and I have never seen him hanging around a group of kids. He just made a bad choice."

Schools police are looking into whether other attacks were launched from other countries and if IP addresses were purchased from overseas. There have been more than two dozen cyberattacks on Miami-Dade schools and more arrests are possible in the future.

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