Pentagon leak suspect to appear in court for hearing on whether he should remain in custody
Apr 19, 2023
Washington [US], April 19 : Jack Teixeira, 21, the alleged leaker of confidential Pentagon documents, will return to court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether or not he will be retained in custody, CNN reported.
Teixeira is accused of violating the Espionage Act, and a judge will determine on Wednesday whether or not he should remain in custody
According to CNN, the prosecutors will put forward their case to the judge for Teixeira's continued detention while his case is being heard. Prosecutors may use additional information regarding Teixeira's alleged acts to support their case and persuade Magistrate Judge David Hennessy that Teixeira is either too dangerous to be released or a flight risk.
In a series of leaks that revealed the breadth of US intelligence gathering on both its allies and adversaries, the 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard is reportedly accused of posting classified intelligence -- including sensitive information about the war in Ukraine -- on social media platform Discord.
A day after FBI agents raided his family's home in the small town of Dighton, which is located about 30 kilometres (18 miles) east of Providence, Rhode Island, Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts National Guard, made an appearance in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday.
Quoting Washington Post, Al Jazeera reported that Teixeira was charged with the retention and transmission of national defence information and willful retention of classified documents on last Friday. The criminal offences could carry up to 15 years in prison. The federal judge ordered Teixeira to remain in jail. He did not enter a plea.
Calling the leak of classified documents online a "deliberate criminal act", Pentagon on Thursday underlined the US continue to review a variety of factors as it relates to safeguarding classified materials.
During a press briefing on Thursday (local time), Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters, "We continue to review a variety of factors as it relates to safeguarding classified materials -- this includes examining and updating distribution lists, assessing how and where intelligence products are shared and a variety of other steps," according to The Hill.
"I would say, though, that it is important to understand that we do have stringent guidelines in place for safeguarding classified and sensitive information. This was a deliberate criminal act, a violation of those guidelines," he added.
