He illegally accessed a network to download material that wasn't his. If this was all a big misunderstanding, why did he set it up the clandestine operation in

He illegally accessed a network to download material that wasn't his. If this was all a big misunderstanding, why did he set it up the clandestine operation in a server closet? His intent was to distribute the material. The CFAA was the way they went after him. It's pretty simple. The OP made it seem like he broke some ToS accidentally and then was somehow going to face jail time. This is certainly not the case. He deliberately accessed a network he had been banned from with clear criminal intent.