The U.S. government released over 80 pages of documents Tuesday related to the case of Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira.
Teixeira, now 22 years old, pleaded guilty to 6 counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act regarding the Ukraine war along with other national security secrets.
Federal officials recommended Teixeira receive a sentence of 11 years in prison, calling his actions “inexcusable,” but also saying that he is essentially a child.
According to the new documents, Teixeira joined the Air Force National Guard right out of high school.
At 20, he began to share classified information on the instant messaging platform Discord to his friends. He was arrested the following year in 2023.
In a letter sent to the judge, Teixeira’s mother, Dawn Dufault, said he was a joy to raise and exhibited an “exceptional level of intelligence” from an early age.
Documents say that a doctor noted in 2009, when he was in 1st grade, that Teixeira had ADHD and characteristics of Asperger’s syndrome, although Teixeira was not given a diagnosis at the time. Similarly, he was eligible for special education services and placed on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Jack recalled going to a “special help” classroom that he liked, mostly because he could spend time out of class. His mother said that she initially resisted the idea of medication, but medical records indicate that he started Ritalin in the first grade.
Teixeira reportedly told his family he was being bullied and sought an escape to his online friends.
“Jack has always been unique and stood out from other kids. His inability to make friends or want to make friends was difficult for Jack growing up. His passion for the military and its history did not help,” his father, Jack Michael Teixeira said. “I believe that is why Jack was so attracted to online groups and video games.”
In his own words, Teixeira explained that “life kinda felt like the same thing,” and that he viewed the Ukraine War as “an incredibly important event.” He cited that his generation didn’t have a defining “war” until the Ukraine conflict came about.
Documents say that he has accepted responsibility for his actions.
Officials say his intent wasn’t to harm the United States, but instead, to educate his friends and he wanted to share his experience.
“The past year of incarceration has been a true shock to his system, and I believe it wrenched Jack out of what I would consider a dream state of his small online community, a place where he finally felt regarded and respected by a group that wasn’t his family,” Dufault said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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