Alleged Lulzsec Spokesman Released On Bail

An alleged leader of the Lulzsec hacking group was released on bail by a London court today after being charged with computer attacks and break-ins.

Jake Davis, 18 and from the Shetland Isles, is charged with attacks on the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, the NHS and News International.

The court was reportedly told he had 750,000 people’s personal details on his network of 16 machines when he was arrested at this home in the Shetland Isles last Wednesday.

He has been bailed on condition that he wear an electronic tag, remain at home (in his mother’s new home in Spalding, Lincolnshire) between 10pm and 7am and is barred from accessing the internet.

The authorities allege Davis is the voice of Lulzsec, Topiary, but the Web is awash with rumours he was set up.

Free radical

Davis left the court wearing sunglasses and carrying a book titled ‘Free radicals: The Secret Anarchy of Science’.

He is the third Briton to be accused or suspected of being a member of Lulzsec and if proven to be Topiary would be the most high profile arrest so far in the global hacking crackdown.

Ryan Cleary, 19 and from Essex is currently on bail also charged with taking part or assisting the DDoS attack on SOCA and a 16-year-old boy from south London was arrested and released in July.

Global hunt

Arrests of Lulzsec and Anonymous suspects have now been made in the United States, Spain, Turkey, Britain and the Netherlands in a global hacking crackdown.

Lulzsec remains active despite disbanding in June and continues to work with the more established group Anonymous to harass companies and organisations in the name of free speech and the AntiSec (Anti Security) campaign.

Until now, it was speculated that Topiary was based in Sweden and there are still many who feel Davis has been set up.

Both Cleary and Davis are due to return to court for Crown Court proceedings on 30 August.