LONDON: A British teenager accused of mounting computer attacks against a series of websites is autistic and should be released on bail, his lawyer said Saturday. Defense attorney Ben Cooper said 19-year-old Ryan Cleary had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome since his arrest and has agoraphobia, a condition which generally refers to fear of social situations. The diagnosis echoes the case of British hacker Gary McKinnon, who has admitted to breaking into US military computers following the Sept. 11 attacks. Efforts to extradite him to the US have been delayed for years over questions about his mental health — he was diagnosed with Asperger's in 2008 — while McKinnon has drawn widespread public sympathy as his case has dragged on.
