TWO North-East men have been committed to Crown Court to face charges of conspiring to create a worldwide computer virus which caused millions of pounds of damage.
Andrew Harvey, 22, of Scardale Way, Belmont, Durham, appeared in Consett Magistrates' Court alongside Jordan Bradley, 20, of Bates Avenue, Darlington.
The pair are suspected of being part of a team of hackers known as the THr34t Krew.
The group is suspected of creating an Internet "worm", which infected 18,000 computers around the world.
The men were arrested in February and interviewed by members of the US Computer and Technology Crime Team in connection with the offences, alleged to have taken place between January 1, last year, and February 6, this year.
A third man was arrested in Illinois, US.
The two have been charged with conspiring together and with others to effect unauthorised modifications to the contents of computers, with the intent to impair the operation of those computers.
The charges are contrary to Section One of the Criminal Law Act of 1977.
The two were released on unconditional bail to appear at Durham Crown Court.
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