Briton accused of hacking Fox, PBS websites

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Federal prosecutors have charged a 20-year-old Briton suspected of links to the hacking group Lulz Security with cracking into websites for a Fox reality TV show, a venerable news program and other sites.

In an indictment filed Tuesday, Ryan Cleary is accused of conspiring with other hackers in LulzSec, an offshoot of the larger hacking group Anonymous, to break into multiple sites.

Cleary is accused of conspiring to steal the confidential information of people who registered to get information on auditions for the Fox talent competition "The X-Factor." He also is accused of defacing the website for "The NewsHour," a nightly Public Broadcasting Service show.

An after-hours call to Cleary's legal representative in London wasn't returned.

Calls to Fox and "The NewsHour" seeking comment and confirmation weren't immediately returned Wednesday.

In the United Kingdom, Cleary is in custody following allegations that he hacked a law enforcement agency and various British music sites.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)