Electronic crime lab national manager Martin Kleintjes says the charges relate to alleged damage caused to a website and the computer systems of a company in Maryland in the United States. He declines to name the firm.

The accused man appeared in Dunedin District Court on Thursday morning and was granted name suppression. He entered no plea and was remanded on bail till March 18.

Mr Kleintjes says all the charges laid are under the Crimes Amendment (No 6) Act. One charge is for damaging or interfering with a computer system, albeit not in a way that would endanger life – an offence which carries a maximum seven-year jail term.

Another charge is for accessing a computer system without authorisation, which can result in imprisonment for up to two years.

By Richard Wood at Stuff.

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