‘I’m a patriot’: Imprisoned Dighton Air National Guardsman interviewed by ABC News

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The former Air National guardsman and Massachusetts native sentenced to 15 years for leaking classified information online sat down with ABC News.

Jack Texeira pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to the national defense.

For the first time, Teixeira spoke out from behind bars with ABC News anchor, Linsey Davis.

She asked him, if he had the chance to do this again, would he take the same action?

“My intent was to educate the United States populous, people, about what was going on. It was not to harm the united states or the country because I love my nation. I’m a patriot,” said Teixeira.

“I believe that I would’ve. Considering everything that was going on at the time I believe I would have, yes.”

The now 23-year-old shared top secret information including troop movements related to the war in Ukraine.

He did it on online chat platform Discord, the government says “in an attempt to impress anonymous friends on the internet.”

As an IT specialist in the national guard, Teixeira had a top secret security clearance, one the pentagon says he needed to do his job.

But prosecutors say he exploited that access.