[mpyne]

The charges themselves are based on law that is rather too harsh in many people's opinion, given the scope and effect of the "crime" itself.

E.g. there's no reason that this should have been a felony, but the option of pleading to something that was a misdemeanor wasn't even available to Aaron here because of the way the law is constructed.

However given the law and the way the legal system works the prosecutor was certainly treating this just like any other CFAA case.