London teen charged over Spamhaus mega-DDoS attacks

Accused will tap the boards before the beak today

An unnamed London teenager has been charged with a series of criminal offences following a series of denial-of-service attacks against internet exchanges and the Spamhaus anti-spam service last year.

The 17-year-old male from London was charged on Friday and faces computer misuse, fraud and money-laundering offences at a hearing in London's Camberwell Green Youth Court today.

The teenager was arrested in April 2013 after a series of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks which led to worldwide disruption of internet exchanges and services. Officers from the National Crime Agency seized a number of electronic devices at the time of his arrest.

A subsequent forensic examination yielded enough evidence to proceed with a prosecution.

"The NCA has taken the decision not to name him at the point of charge since he is a minor and therefore a vulnerable individual," a statement by the British police agency explains.

Juveniles – persons aged under 18 – appearing before youth courts receive automatic anonymity under English law. That anonymity ceases to apply once they reach the age of 18. ®