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[After the "cruel and inhuman punishment" metered to free speech
advocate Manning... is the US a safe place for a fair prosecution?]<br>
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<div class="story-body"> <span class="story-date"> <span
class="date">25 June 2012</span>
<span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span
class="time">12:20 GMT</span> </span>
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<h1 class="story-header">Lulzsec: UK men plead guilty to hacking
charges</h1>
<p class="introduction">Two members of the computer hacking group
Lulzsec have pleaded guilty to charges they attacked several
high profile websites.</p>
<p>Ryan Cleary, 19, and Jake Davis, 18, admitted being part of
Lulzsec, an offshoot of the Anonymous collective.</p>
<p>They and two others - Ryan Ackroyd, 25, and a 17-year-old boy -
deny other similar hacking charges.</p>
<p>Lulzsec claimed responsibility for attacking the UK's Serious
Organised Crime Agency (Soca) website.</p>
<p>The group is also believed to have hacked computers operated by
the NHS, News International, Sony, Nintendo, film studio 20th
Century Fox, US public broadcaster PBS, and US computer security
organisations HBGary, Black & Berg and Infraguard.</p>
<p>A trial date has been set for April 2013.</p>
<p>Mr Cleary also faces charges in the US, where he stands accused
of breaking into a number of websites, including that of the US
X Factor, in order to deface them and steal personal details.</p>
<p>Arrested in June 2011, Mr Cleary was released on bail but later
jailed after breaching his conditions.</p>
<p>He had been banned from accessing the internet, but is said to
have contacted hacker Hector Xavier Monsegur, known as "Sabu",
who had been working as an FBI informant following his own
arrest.</p>
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