If I remember correctly, can't you join Novice Network through the Smith NPCs? I know you get instantly added if you're a mentor but I could swear the Smith guy (who gives you the early training stuff) can add you also (perhaps only if you have sprout or returner status?).

Also the person might have separate service accounts. I doubt there's a real person in the shadows helping them, it's likely that they have more than one system/computer etc and are using that to enable this purile behavior.

This kind of thing is why I left NN long ago. No one was really using the channel as it was intended anyway. No excuse for this kind of behavior but yeah. :/