How about the idiot that left his credit card next to a working computer in the same room as an unoccupied and curious child being the one who needs a lesson?
As for The Boy ~ It's not the first time and won't be the last unless you take care to ensure that temptation is removed. In your shoes I would count myself lucky that unending supplies of pizza deliveries and the like aren't turning up. Obviously he should receive the standard Class A lecture on theft (which is what using your credit card effectively is) but other than that he did what most boys who are being banned from this that or the other for various infringements of, as he sees it, unreasonable rules would do given the opportunity. The THW, at about the age of 10, removed £100 from my jeans pocket, left in the bedroom whilst I was in the bath. When finally caught her explanation was: "To teach you a lesson because you took (some "privilege" or other) away from me two weeks ago" I forget what privilege or what she had actually done to be punished for but in her world I had been unjust and she was damned if I would be allowed to get away with it.
BTW £90 was recovered and she was very, very chocolate
that night so we deduced a £10 choccy binge. I figure we ended up even.
What I am trying to say is that kids have a curious moral code about such things and you need to find out motives and reasoning. That will take time and patience. Telling Mrs Nick may not be a good idea (prolly too late to suggest this) but sometimes secrets shared "between us men" are no bad idea as it fosters a feeling of being "growed up" ~ for both of you.
E.G. ~ Nick (Whilst ensuring sensible but covert security measures are followed in future) "Boy ~ you have done wrong but you now know that it was wrong, have apologised and I am going to trust you not to do such a thing again ~ we'll say no more about it this time, no need to mention it to your mother but do anything like this again and I will punish you as you have never been punished etc."
Just my opinion but you did ask.
