UK LulzSec Suspects Offer Guilty Pleas
Youngsters Jake Davis and Ryan Cleary admit to hitting sites of the CIA and SOCA
Members of the LulzSec hacktivist group pleaded guilty to a number of charges in court today, whilst others were denied.
Both Ryan Cleary and Jake Davis, who are just 19 and 18 respectively, admitted to being part of LulzSec.
Davis, who is believed to be LulzSec’s chief spokesperson Topiary, admitting he helped carry out denial of service attacks on the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), along with Cleary. Davis also admitted to hitting an NHS website too.
Charges denied
Both Cleary and Davis denied other charges accusing them of stealing data and posting it on the internet.
Earlier this month, Cleary, from Essex, was charged in the US for his alleged involvement in LulzSec campaigns. Yet he is unlikely to face extradition to the US, according to reports. He is also believed to suffer from Asperger’s syndrome
The case has been adjourned until 12 July as the Director of Public Prosecutions decides on whether Davis and Cleary should face trial.
Ryan Ackroyd, 25 years old and accused of being LulzSec’s ‘Kayla,’ pleaded not guilty to charges against him today. Another 17-year-old also pleaded not guilty to charges. They will stand trial on 8 April next year.
All except Cleary were released on bail. He was re-arrested in March this year after breaking his bail terms by allegedly contacting LulzSec leader Hector Xavier Monsegur, otherwise known as Sabu, over the Christmas period, according to his lawyer, Karen Todner.
Sabu was outed as an FBI informant last year, following his arrest in 2011. Monsegur pleaded guilty on 15 August 2011 in US District Court to 12 charges of computer hacking conspiracies and other crimes.
Following that, Ackroyd and Davis were charged by US authorities, but remain here in the UK and no extradition plans are in place.
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