An American teenager suspected of creating a variant of the destructive Blaster worm, has appeared in a Seattle court to face one count of causing damage to a computer.
Jeffrey Lee Parson, 18, a burly high school senior from Hopkins, Minnesota, pleaded not guilty to the charge of intentionally causing or attempting to cause damage to a computer. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 (155,000 pounds) fine if convicted.
According to a complaint filed in the Western District of Washington, Parson had told law enforcement officials that he created a variant of the worm, which exploited a flaw in Microsoft's Windows software.
Blaster and its variants are self-replicating Internet worms that bore through a Windows security hole, harnessing computers to launch concerted data attacks via the Internet.
Parson, flanked by two federal public defenders, appeared in a grey T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Standing over six feet (183 cm) tall and weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg), he sported a bleach-blond Mohawk haircut and occasionally wiped sweat from his forehead.
Judge Mary Alice Theiler set the next court date for November 17.
Judge Theiler ordered that Parson continue to be held under house arrest, although his attorneys secured an amendment that would allow him to leave home to work in addition to being able to leave to attend school.
Parson was banned from using the Internet, surfing the World Wide Web or using messaging services during his trial.