6 months would have pretty much destroyed his life, especially when it comes to getting a job
Given his abilities and renown he would find a job both despite and because of his would be conviction.
There are plenty of "security experts" that started as hackers/crackers and with time served on their records that don't have issue finding a job.
If you apply to Walmart with a record well GL, but in Tech hmm you've hacked into the DOD? well how about 6 figures + equity if you come work for us...
The guy was part of the RSS working group at what 14 and part of the RDF group at W3C at 15? If he would not have tragically ended his life he would've ended up working for Google or any other tech company he would choose to work for regardless of his conviction.