A six week sentence was handed down to nineteen year old man in Liverpool.

Oliver Drage, 19 years old, had been arrested back in May 2009 when police had been investigating child sexual exploitation. Police seized his computer but were unable to access any of the data as it was encrypted with a 50 character key.

After failing to disclose the password in September he was sentenced to a six week sentence. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence to not disclose a password when requested to do so by the courts. It was reported that Police will carry on trying to crack the password used to encrypt the data.

According to Detective Sgt Neil Fowler: “Drage was previously of good character so the immediate custodial sentence handed down by the judge in this case shows just how seriously the courts take this kind of offence.”

“Computer systems are constantly advancing and the legislation used here was specifically brought in to deal with those who are using the internet to commit crime.

“It sends a robust message out to those intent on trying to mask their online criminal activities that they will be taken before the courts with the ultimate sanction, as in this case, being a custodial sentence.”

Research in Motion has given in to the demands of the Indian Governmen which will now allow the government to intercept messages sent through the popular Blackberry messenger, which otherwise would have been encrypted and unreadable.

RIM has stated that it will support the country’s need for “lawful access”.

Fearing that terrorists or militants would use the messaging system to plan attacks RIM had been slapped with an ultimatum, either provide a means whereby messages could be monitored or cease trading in India by August 31st. With around 1 million subscribers in India RIM had little choice but to come up with a solution or risk being locked out of India’s growing mobile market.

RIM now have 60 days before the government decide if adequate access available to them.