Hacker McKinnon may face UK charges

British hacker Gary McKinnon may escape extradition to the US by being prosecuted in Britain on charges of breaking into Pentagon and Nasa systems.

His lawyers, who argue that the offence was committed in Britain, have told the Crown Prosecuting Service that McKinnon would plead guilty to offences under the Misuse of Computers Act, according to a report in today's Guardian.

The paper says extradition would be unlikely if McKinnon were tried in Britain.

Supporters fear that 42-year-old McKinnon would not get a fair trial in the US. They also say he suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism that can make people obsessive.

Last year the House of Lords rejected his appeal against extradition.

A poll of IT workers conducted by security firm Sophos found them split over the issue of McKinnon's extradition, with 52 percent against.

“McKinnon has had tremendous support from the hacker community and even ordinary people – many IT workers have a lot of sympathy for his ongoing plight and would rather see him tried in Britain as opposed to the US,” said

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for the company, said there was a lot of sympathy him and many people would prefer to see him dealt with in Britain. But he added:“Any form of hacking is illegal and should be punished as such, and hacking into US government networks is bound to come with harsh repercussions – anyone thinking about engaging in these types of activities in the future should think twice.

This man’s sorry tale should warn other would-be hackers that they are playing with fire if they break into sensitive networks, and shouldn’t be surprised if the full force of the law goes after them.”