Computer Virus Suspect Turned Himself in

A M S T E R D A M, Netherlands, Feb. 14 -- A computer hacker turned himselfin today and was charged with spreading the Anna Kournikovacomputer virus that snarled e-mail around the world, officialssaid. He was promptly released on his own recognizance.

The 20-year-old from the northern province of Friesland wasallowed to go home because the charges weren’t serious enough tohold him in jail, a police spokesman said.

The suspect, who was not identified under customary privacyregulations, was detained on suspicion of damaging computerprograms and property, which carries a maximum four-year jailsentence.

“The offenses with which he has been charged aren’t enough tohold him,” police spokesman Robert Rambonnet said.

A district court would hear the case “within a few weeks” totry and sentence the suspect. His computer was confiscated forinvestigation, Rambonnet said.

A statement posted on the Web site of the National Police Agencyindicated the man was unaware of what he was doing.

“The young man downloaded an existing program from the Interneton Sunday, Feb. 11, and on the same day launched it onto theInternet,” the document said. “When he realized what the viruswas doing he agreed with his parents to report to the police,” thestatement said.

The Anna Kournikova virus backed up e-mail systems and hundredsof thousands of computers from Australia to the United States.

Footsteps Traced Through Network

The virus was traced by the Excite@Home computer network to aDutch subscriber. Dutch police initially said they had no reason toinvestigate. No suspect had been identified when the mansurrendered at the police station in the village of Sneek, 60 milesnortheast of Amsterdam.

Police said they were almost certain he was the same person whoclaimed responsibility for the attack on an Internet site. OnTuesday, someone identifying himself as OnTheFLy, admittedspreading the virus as a warning to internet users to tightensecurity.