Hacktivist accused of launching DDoS attacks in protest of child custody case. The 32-year-old faces up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted. He pleaded not guilty at his Oct. 26 arraignment in the U.S. district court in Boston. His wife says her husband collapsed in court during his arraignment as a result of a hunger strike protesting his prosecution in the case. In a statement, Gottesfeld said he was motivated to launch the assault because, “I had heard too many horror stories of institutionalized children””]