Man Pleads Guilty to Writing Viruses

British citizen admits creating three destructive viruses, which spread to 42 countries and infected computers at the FBI.

A U.K. man pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he wrote and distributed three Internet computer viruses from his home in Wales with the intention of causing unauthorized modifications to computer systems.

Simon Vallor, 22, admitted in Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London that he created the viruses called "Gokar," "Admirer," and "Redesi," a spokesperson for the court said Tuesday.

Vallor was arrested in February and charged under Section 3 of the U.K.'s Computer Misuse Act 1990.

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According to court prosecutors, the viruses that were created and spread, in part through chat rooms, by Vallor were detected in 42 countries and affected 27,000 computer systems, the spokesperson said.

Vallor was released on bail until his next court date for sentencing is set sometime next year, the spokesperson said.

After having received e-mails infected with the viruses at its office in Baltimore, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation tipped off Scotland Yard detectives in London who subsequently tracked Vallor down though his British Telecommunications Internet access account registered to his home address, the spokesperson said.

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