Mexborough man charged over computer hacking conspiracy

Ryan Mark Ackroyd, (25), of Oak Road, Mexborough, was charged at Scotland Yard on Tuesday (6) as part of an ongoing investigation into the criminal activity of “hacktivist” group LulzSec.

Detectives from the Police Central eCrime Unit charged Ackroyd with two counts of conspiracy to do an unauthorised act with intent to impair or with recklessness impairing of an operation of a computer.

He will appear on bail at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next Friday (March 16) to face the charges which each carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

Ackroyd was the fourth person to be charged in connection with the LulzSec group.

A 17-year-old youth from south London was also charged on Tuesday and detectives had previously charged Ryan Cleary (19) of Essex and Jake Davies (19) of Shetland with a number of offences. They both remain on conditional bail.

Ackroyd was charged on the same day that the FBI released a statement to say that he was one of six men allegedy involved with a hacking conspiracy in the USA.

He was one of five men charged while a sixth has already pleaded guilty.

The alleged hackers, said to be associated with computer hacking federation group Anonymous and related groups Internet Feds, LulzSec and AntiSec, had been charged in what is understood to be a separate investigation, the FBI said.

The computer conspiracy is alleged to involve the hacking of Fox Broadcasting Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Public Broadcasting Service.

The case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

The investigation was initiated and led by the FBI and its New York Cyber Crime Task Force.