My son’s no crook. He’s battling the hackers
Family claim suspect given offer of cyber security role
The family of a man who is to be extradited to the US to face charges of computer hacking claim he has been offered work by companies to help improve their online security.
Lauri Love, 31, who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, faces up to 99 years in a US jail.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has until November 15 to rule on the extradition and his legal team is appealing to the High Court.
His father, the Reverend Alexander Love, originally from Glasgow, said: “Lauri’s actually now using his talents to better ends, like the poacher turned gamekeeper.
“He’s met with the people from Talk Talk who got hacked to help with their cyber security.
“I believe my son could be a great asset, especially with these new frontiers of cyber warfare. It’s much better to get someone like Lauri on side.
“The Americans obviously have real problems with their security and they could turn Lauri into a solution.”
Former Glasgow University student Lauri’s home in Suffolk was raided by National Crime Agency off icers in October 2013.
He was accused of stealing data from Nasa, the FBI, the US Army and the Federal Reserve and US authorities mounted a three-year fight to extradite him so he can face three separate trials and a prison sentence in the US.
Prison chaplain Alex said he fears for his son’s safety if last week’s court ruling is not overturned.
He said: “I sat him down and asked him what he would do if they put him on the plane and he said ‘Dad, I will kill myself. I can’t survive without you and mum.’
“He is a genius, a very clever and able person but he can’t cope with the real world. I believe the judge has made a mistake here. I don’t think it’s safe to send him. I think he will take his life first.”
“I’m not against Lauri being on trial but in the grand scheme of things nobody has actually been harmed by what he did. He’s genuinely got some mental health issues.”
Lauri’s lawyer Karen Todner said: “We are optimistic an appeal will succeed.”
Lauri’s case mirrors that of Scot Gary McKinnon, who also has Asperger’s.
He was accused by US authorities of carrying out the “biggest military computer hack of all time”.
Gary’s extradition was finally blocked on human rights grounds by then home secretary Theresa May.
He is a genius, a very clever person but he can’t cope with real world