British teen hacker could be extradited to US
June 22nd, 2011 - 8:54 pm ICT by IANS
London, June 22 (IANS) A British teenager who has been arrested on suspicion of launching cyber attacks on the CIA and the US Senate could be extradited to that country, a media report said Wednesday.
Once the boy has been dealt with by the British legal system he could face extradition to the US to face possible charges there, The Telegraph reported quoting the police.
Ryan Cleary, 19, was arrested on suspicion of launching cyber attacks on the CIA and the US Senate. He could face a jail term of up to 10 years in the US.
Cleary was held at his family home in Wickford in a joint operation by the FBI and the Scotland Yard. He is currently being questioned at a London police station over a string of attacks claimed to be by the hacking group LulzSec.
He is alleged to have been in the process of attacking the website of Britain’s Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) using a computer in his bedroom at the moment police raided the detached house, the report said.
A source told the Telegraph: “He would have to be charged here first if any offence has been committed, because he was allegedly attacking the SOCA website when he was arrested.
“But the investigation into his activities was being driven by the FBI, and it seems likely they will want to have him extradited to the US so they can question him about attacks on American websites.”
Investigators suspect Cleary, the son of a college lecturer, may have been involved in cyber attacks on not only the CIA, but also Facebook and Sony, according to the newspaper.
If the US tried to extradite Cleary, he could also resist it on medical grounds. His family say he suffers from ADHD and Emotional Behavioural Disorder, with a history of troubled behaviour going back to when he was aged just five.
His mother Rita, 45, said: “I’m really worried. He could seriously harm or even kill himself. He is incredibly intelligent but he has very complex needs.”
Cleary was named as a member of LulzSec last month by members of the rival hacking group Anonymous, but LulzSec has denied he is one of their number, saying he hosts one of their chatrooms but nothing else.
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Tags: adhd, behavioural disorder, british teenager, college lecturer, cyber attacks, detached house, extradition, facebook, hacking group, jail term, london police, medical grounds, offence, police station, ryan cleary, scotland yard, serious and organised crime agency, teen hacker, us senate, wickford