Sony Hacking Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

An alleged member of a computer hacking group pleaded not guilty today to federal charges of hacking into Sony Pictures Entertainment's system.

, 23, entered his pleas in Los Angeles federal court to one count each of conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Victor Kenton set a Dec. 13 trial date for Kretsinger. If convicted of both charges, the Phoenix resident faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to an indictment unsealed late last month, Culver City-based Sony's computer system was hacked from May 27 through June 2 by a group known as , or Lulz Security, whose members anonymously claimed responsibility on the group's website.

Kretsinger, allegedly also known by the moniker "recursion," is believed to be a current or former member of the group. The extent of damage caused by the breach at Sony is under investigation, according to Steven Martinez, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office. The indictment accuses Kretsinger and co-conspirators of stealing confidential information from Sony Pictures' computer systems and distributing the material on LulzSec's website before trumpeting the attack on Twitter.

LulzSec is known for its affiliation with the international hacking collective known as Anonymous, which conducts cyber attacks and disseminates information stolen from individuals and companies perceived to be hostile to its interests, officials said.

In the recent past, LulzSec has been linked to the hacking, or attempted hacking, of numerous targets, including various websites that represent governmental or business entities.

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