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Keys denied the charges of conspiring with hackers by using social media as a platform to claim his innocence.
“I did not give a username and a password to anyone,” a Facebook post by Keys said yesterday (Thursday).
The 26-year-old used his personal post, also opposing accusations of conspiracy, protection damage and malicious code transmission, as a direct statement.
“My attorneys have said much of the same over the past few days, but I feel it might mean more coming from me directly,” he said, according to Softpedia.
Charges against the deputy editor stated he provided the hackers with login credentials to access the network of his previous employer Tribune company, which owns the Los Angeles Times, by using AESCracked moniker.
Despite the accusations, prosecutors were impressed by the defacing attacks on the Los Angeles Times.
Jay Leiderman, lawyer of Keys, told the Huffington Post: “This is a guy who went where he needed to go to get the story.
"He went into the sort of dark corners of the Internet. He’s being prosecuted for that, for going to get the story.”
Keys’ lawyer reasoned he was doing “investigative journalism”, though FBI allegations point to much more.
Evidence against the accused includes chat logs between Keys and hacker Hector Xavier Monsegur, also known as Sabu.
The court case will take place in the Sacramento federal court in California on April 12.
Although Keys was reportedly suspended from his job, his Facebook profile still indicates he is employed by the New York-based company.
