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Microsoft hits autistic Xboxer with cheat evidence

Boy's mum confesses to 'mistake'

The mother of an autistic 11-year-old boy who went on US TV to lambast Microsoft for labelling her son an Xbox Live cheat has admitted she made a mistake, after Microsoft released evidence for the lad's actions.

The company insisted Julias Jackson's achievements were fraudulently obtained, Seattle-based US TV channel Q13 Fox reports.

Microsoft told the channel: "The account in question was not issued a Gamerscore reset because the person 'played too well' or 'beat the game'. This case was researched thoroughly and we found unauthorised means were used to tamper with the account by someone in order to falsely unlock achievements. We have been in contact with the mother in this case and explained in detail how the Xbox LIVE account was manipulated."

Indeed, Stephen Toulouse, Director of Police and Enforcement at Microsoft, emailed the boy's mother, Jennifer Zdenek, with what it claimed was clear evidence of her's son's malfeasance:

"The account Zombie Kill67 transferred from the Xbox it is normally seen on, to an Xbox in another city. The account earned several achievements for Halo 3 that can only be done online and in succession. It was clear they were unlocked out of order and offline. Earning successive online achievements out of order and offline is an impossible feat, not due to skill, but due to the technology of the system. It can only be done by modifying the account and faking the achievements."

Zdenek now admits her son gave his Gamertag to an online pal so he could get "Recon Armour" in Halo 3. She says she even warned him about it at the time worried the other gamer may have been phishing for bank account details.

A red-faced Zdenek still claims her son didn't intend to cheat. Now, she said, she and her son would just like to put the episode behind them.

Microsoft has offered Julias a free month of Xbox Live to start fresh with a new Gamertag. ®

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