Back in 2001 Gary McKinnon hacked into the computer systems of NASA and the Pentagon. He was, he claims, looking for evidence of UFOs, although he did leave messages on the sites stating how bad the security was and did over $800,000 worth of damage.
Since then, arrested, he’s exhausted all his appeals against extradition to the US to face prosecution for his crimes, which could result in a lengthy jail sentence. But now the British Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is considering a plea from his lawyers to plead guilty under the Misuse of Computers Act, according to the Guardian. If that happens, his extradition would become highly unlikely.
His lawyer has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), acknowledging McKinnon’s guilt, which clears the way for a prosecution, and the CPS says it’s’ considering the matter.
McKinnon suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, and has received support from 80 Members of Parliament and the National Autistic Society. His mother, Janis Sharp, wrote to the DPP:
"Many people with Asperger’s have a heightened sense of justice and have obsessions, which can sometimes get them into trouble. Gary’s obsession was computers."
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