Jack Teixeira, the Pentagon leaker, is sentenced to 15 years in prison for revealing classified information.

On Tuesday, Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member who admitted to leaking highly confidential military information about the conflict in Ukraine, was given a 15-year prison sentence.

In an orange jumpsuit, he was escorted into court and remained expressionless as he was given a sentence by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani. Prior to the verdict, he had expressed remorse to the judge.

Teixeria was requested to be sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison by prosecutors, who stated that he committed one of the most significant and consequential violations of the Espionage Act in American history.

"The defendant, who is both a member of the United States Armed Forces and a clearance holder, took an oath to defend the United States and protect its secrets. However, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, the defendant violated his oath almost every day for over a year."

In court documents, Teixeira's lawyers requested an 11-year prison sentence for their client, asserting that he is "autistic and was isolated" when he started disclosing confidential information to his online friends on a Discord server.

"The attorneys stated that his goal was not to harm the United States, but rather to educate his friends about global events to prevent them from being misled by false information."

Teixeira's repeated decision over 14 months was acknowledged as a terrible one.

"The attorney wrote that Jack has fully accepted responsibility for his actions and is prepared to face the serious consequences that must now be imposed."

Prosecutors contended that Teixeira does not have an intellectual disability that prevents him from distinguishing between right and wrong. They maintained that Teixeira's post-arrest diagnosis of having "mild, high-functioning" autism is not applicable in these proceedings.

In March, Teixeira, 22, pleaded guilty to all six counts of retaining and transmitting classified national defense information in Boston's federal courthouse and was sentenced to a maximum of 16 years in prison. Prosecutors agreed not to charge him with any additional violations of the Espionage Act in exchange for his guilty plea.

Teixeira agreed to a debriefing with members of the intelligence community, Department of Defense, or Department of Justice and handed over any remaining classified materials.

Since his arrest on April 13, 2023, for leaking military secrets online, Teixeira, from North Dighton, Massachusetts, has remained in custody.

At Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, he was a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing and worked as a "cyber transport systems specialist." He possessed the highest level of security clearance for top secret information.

It is reported that Teixeira disclosed confidential information to a group of about 20 to 30 young men on the social media platform Discord.

The leaked documents primarily focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but also contain information on China, the Middle East, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, and world leaders.

Teixeira, according to a group member who spoke to The New York Times, appeared resigned to his fate in a conversation they had. He stated that Teixeira had expressed regret, saying, "I never wanted it to turn out this way. I prayed to God that this wouldn't happen. I prayed and prayed and prayed. Only God knows what will happen next."

Teixeira had previously pleaded not guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act.

The security breach exposed America's vulnerability in safeguarding its confidential information, prompting the Biden administration to take immediate measures to mitigate the diplomatic and military consequences. The Pentagon implemented stricter security protocols to safeguard classified data and disciplined personnel who were found to have intentionally disregarded Teixeira's suspicious behavior.

According to court documents, an online user who interacted with Teixeira revealed that he first typed out confidential documents he obtained on Discord. After becoming worried about potential consequences for "transcribing text in the workplace," he began sharing photographs of files with SECRET and TOP SECRET markings.

Authorities discovered a smashed tablet, laptop, and Xbox gaming console in a dumpster at the house of the leaker, who tried to destroy evidence before his arrest, prosecutors stated.

The leak revealed unfiltered secret evaluations of Russia's conflict in Ukraine, including details about troop movements in Ukraine and the delivery of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. Additionally, Teixeira confessed to disclosing information about an enemy's plans to harm U.S. troops abroad.

This report was contributed to by Stephen Sorace of Planet Chronicle Digital and the Associated Press.