Gary McKinnon, the Briton accused of hacking Pentagon and Nasa computer networks, faces an increasingly hostile climate on cyber security in the US if his extradition is approved this week.
American officials have made clear that they regard Mr McKinnon, 43, an unemployed computer programmer who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, as a serious offender whose case must be pursued rigorously in the US courts.
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Mr McKinnon has offered to plead guilty in the UK to misuse of computer systems but the British courts have so far rejected that proposal, saying that the alleged crimes and damage were committed on US networks. In America he faces far more serious charges of fraud and criminal damage. “Gary accepts he was hacking but he has always insisted that he was looking for evidence of UFOs in the systems he was accessing,” said his lawyer, Karen Todner.
The High Court will give its judgment on Friday on his appeal against extradition. If he loses, Ms Todner plans to take the case to the House of Lords or European Court of Human Rights.
Read more in The Telegraph.