LulzSec Hacker US indicts Ryan Cleary over hacking of Sony and Fox
Hot news comes from british,British citizen is already in UK custody on similar charges and could face extradition once case is finalised.
Ryan Cleary now faces charges in both the US and UK as an alleged LulzSec hacker. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has indicted a 20-year-old British citizen on charges related to attacks by the LulzSec hacking group against the Fox and PBS television networks and Sony's film and TV studio.
Ryan Cleary, who is already in custody in the United Kingdom where he faces prosecution over similar charges, is accused of joining other members of LulzSec in using hacked computers, known as a "botnet", to steal confidential information, deface websites or attack servers. He was indicted on Tuesday.
"Cleary is a skilled hacker. He controlled his own botnet, employed sophisticated methods and his broad geographic scope affected a large number of businesses and individuals," said Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman.
LulzSec, an offshoot of the international hacking group Anonymous, has taken credit for attacks on government and private sector websites. Anonymous and its offshoots, including LulzSec and AntiSec, initially focused on fighting attempts at internet regulation and the blocking of free illegal downloads, but have since taken on such targets as Scientology and the global banking system.
The charges come just over two months after the accused LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsinger pleaded guilty in US district dourt in Los Angeles to taking part in an extensive computer breach of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
