LAURIE SEGALL HAD THIS EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW AND JOINS ME NOW.
AND LAURIE, FIRST REMIND US OF 
THE CHARGES HE WAS FACING AND 
TELL US WHAT THE FATHER TOLD YOU
ABOUT THESE ALLEGED CRIMES.
>> Reporter: BROOKE, AARON 
ALLEGEDLY DOWNLOADED MILLIONS OF
ACADEMIC JOURNALS FROM M.I.T.'S 
NETWORK.
HE BELIEVED THAT ACADEMIC 
RESEARCH SHOULDN'T BE HIDDEN 
BEHIND A PAY WALL.
AND HIS FATHER SAID HE BELIEVED 
HE WAS INNOCENT.
BUT HE DID SAY TO ME, EVEN IF HE
WASN'T INSPENOCENT, THE PUNISHM 
OF FACING 35 YEARS IN PRISON DID
NOT MATCH THE CRIME.
11 OF THE 13 CHARGES AARON FACED
WERE VIOLATIONS OF THE COMPUTER 
FRAUD AND ABUSE ACT.
A LAW THAT MANY PEOPLE SAY IS 
COMPLETELY OUTDATED.
I ASKED HIS FATHER ABOUT THIS.
LISTEN TO THIS.
>> WELL, AT THE MOMENT, THAT LAW
MAKES IT A FELONY FOR YOU TO 
GIVE YOUR PASSWORD TO HBO TO A 
FRIEND.
THAT HAS TO BE CHANGED.
>> IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE
PROBLEMS WITH THE CRIMINAL 
JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY 
YOU HAVE SAID, DO YOU BELIEVE 
THAT IF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE 
SYSTEM HADN'T FAILED AARON, DO 
YOU BELIEVE HE WOULD BE ALIVE 
TODAY?
>> WITHOUT QUESTION.
>> Reporter: HOW DOES THAT MAKE 
YOU FEEL?
>> LIKE ONE WHOSE GONE INTO THE 
ABYSS.
>> Reporter: BROOKE, I MET 
AARON'S FATHER ABOUT A YEAR AGO,
AND WE WERE SITTING IN A 
CAFETERIA HERE IN CNN AND NEW 
YORK AND HE SAID I WAS ON MY WAY
OVER AND I PICKED UP MY PHONE TO
CALL MY SON AND THEN IT HIT ME.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT HE STILL 
HAS QUESTIONS, AND HE'S 
OBVIOUSLY DEFEATED BY THIS.
BUT HE'S FIGHTING.
>> HE'S FIGHTING.
HE'S TALKING TO YOU ABOUT IT.
YOU EVEN TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THE
DAY HIS SON WAS ARRESTED.
WHAT DID HE SHARE WITH YOU?
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, IT'S 
HEARTBREAKING.
HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE AND IS HIS
SON WENT TO M.I.T. TO TREAT HIS 
BICYCLE AND HELMET FROM THE 
OFFICER AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED.
THE OFFICER SAID THIS IS NOW IN 
THE HANDS OF SECRET SERVICE.
AND THEY WERE JUST DEVASTATED.
BUT HE GOT INTO MORE DETAIL.
AND HE SAID THAT HOW THEY 
TREATED HIM AFTER THAT, IT 
ESSENTIALLY BROKE HIM.
LISTEN TO THIS.
>> THEY WENT INTO HIS APARTMENT,
WENT THROUGH ALL OF HIS PERSONAL
EFFECTS.
AFTER HE SURRENDERED, 
VOLUNTARILY, THEY ARRESTED HIM, 
THEY STRIP SEARCHED HIM AND LEFT
HIM IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR 
HOURS.
AND AFTER HE MET HIS BOND, THEY 
KEPT HIM IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS WITH 
ABSOLUTELY NO EXPLANATION.
ALL WITH THE GOAL OF ATTEMPTING 
TO BREAK HIM.
>> Reporter: AND, YOU KNOW, HE 
DID -- WE SHOULD SAY, AARON DID 
BATTLE.
AS HE WAS BATTLING THE COURTS, 
HE
