Court accepts Mitnick's guilty plea

A US federal court has accepted a plea agreement from notorious computer hacker, Kevin Mitnick.

In the agreement, Mitnick pleads guilty to five of the 25 federal charges against him - four counts of violating Federal Wire Fraud statute by impersonating employees to get access to confidential information and one case of computer fraud.

In exchange, Mitnick will receive a 54 month sentence to be added to a 14 month sentence he received in 1997 for breaking supervised release. The deal means Mitnick - who has spent 49 months in prison waiting for the case to come to trial - could be released by the end of the year.

Supporters of the popular hacker have welcomed an end to the legal wrangling, but have slammed an additional clause that prevents Mitnick from having any contact with computers for three years after his release - the most restrictive conditions ever imposed on a hacker, they claim.

Mitnick will also have to sign away any proceeds earned as a result of his crimes - including book or film deals and media articles.

Even after his federal time is served, Mitnick still faces an outstanding case of computer fraud brought against him by the State of California, and he could yet be held financially responsible for losses he caused his victims.

Formal sentencing will take place on 14 June.