Tough charges for Palin email hacker

Wednesday, March 11. The 21-year-old hacker who gained access to Sarah Palin's Yahoo email account last year will face charges that could land him in prison for up to 20 years. David Kernell, a university student and the son of Mike Kernell, a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, was originally expected to face charges of illegally accessing a protected computer but will now face additional charges of identity theft, obstruction of justice and wire fraud.

During the 2008 election campaign, Kernell (pictured) is accused of successfully guessing the password Palin used to protect her account and then answering a series of personal identity questions to reset it. Using the online alias of 'Rubico', Kernell took screenshots from the account and posted the proof of his hack online. It is alleged that the economics undergraduate was attempting to derail Palin's bid for the vice presidency.

Kernell has pleaded not guilty to all charges and will face trial on October 27. Until then, he has been told by a judge that he is only allowed to use a computer for class work.

Meanwhile, a Conservative MP has revealed how he was snubbed by the Alaskan governor. After disclosing last year that Westminster politics had left him"“feeling a little jaded" but that the McCain-Palin ticket had "reinvigorated" him, Edward Leigh invited her to dinner an the House of Commons. Palin thanked him for the kind invitation – but refused.

FIRST POSTED MARCH 11, 2009