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DATE=4/2/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-247581 TITLE=MELISSA VIRUS (S ONLY) BYLINE=JOE CHAPMAN DATELINE=NEW YORK CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A NEW JERSEY MAN WAS CHARGED TODAY (FRIDAY) WITH ORIGINATING A MALICIOUS COMPUTER VIRUS THAT INFECTED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COMPUTERS AROUND THE WORLD WITH LINKS TO PORNOGRAPHIC WEB SITES. VOA'S JOE CHAPMAN REPORTS FROM NEW YORK. TEXT: NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERAL PETER VERNIERO SAYS DAVID SMITH IS CHARGED WITH INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IN SPREADING THE VIRUS KNOW AS MELISSA. NOW FREE ON BAIL, HE COULD FACE AS MUCH AS FIVE TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON AND A FINE OF UP TO 150-THOUSAND DOLLARS. BUT ATTORNEY GENERAL VERNIERO SAYS THE 30-YEAR-OLD COMPUTER EXPERT APPARENTLY DID NOT WISH TO DO ANY REAL DAMAGE TO INTERNET USERS WHO DOWNLOADED THE VIRUS. ///VENIERO ACT/// THE MOTIVE WAS SIMPLY A ZEAL TOSEE IF HE COULD ACHIEVE WHAT HE HAS IN FACT ACHIEVED. ///END ACT/// INTERNET USERS WERE STARTLED TO FIND THE VIRUS EXTRACTING E-MAIL ADDRESSES FROM THEIR COMPUTERS, THEN SPREADING THE LIST OF PORNOGRAPHIC SITES TO THOUSANDS OF ADDITIONAL USERS. WHERE DID IT GET THE NAME, MELISSA? APPARENTLY FROM A TOPLESS BARROOM DANCER IN FLORIDA WHERE SMITH ONCE LIVED. (SIGNED) NEB/NY/JMC/LSF 02-Apr-99 4:46 PM EST (2146 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .