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NASA hacker won't face prosecution in U.K.

Self-confessed hacker Gary McKinnon will not now face legal action in the U.K. following a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service, but the U.S. extradition warrant remains open.

ZDNet UK staff Special to CNET News.com
Gary McKinnon ZDNet UK

NASA hacker Gary McKinnon will face no legal action in the U.K.

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided the appropriate jurisdiction for the McKinnon case is the U.S., after discussing the case with the U.S. Department of Justice and the police.

U.S. authorities started their bid to extradite McKinnon in 2005, accusing him of causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage by hacking into NASA and military systems. McKinnon admitted to the intrusion in 2002 but claimed he was looking for evidence of UFO activity.

But U.S. requests for his extradition were formally turned down by the Home Secretary Theresa May in October on human rights grounds, after medical reports said McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, would be a suicide risk if extradited.

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