Sheffield student avoids conviction for piracy

A Sheffield student who ran a website where users could stream pirated films has "avoided a conviction" after paying £20,000 to US authorities, his lawyer has said.

Sheffield Hallam student Richard O'Dwyer ran the TVShack website hosting links to pirated films and TV programmes. But after a court hearing in New York, the 24-year-old avoided extradition and conviction by signing a Deferred Prosecution Agreement.

As a result he paid £20,000 to the authorities, representing the profits he made from TVShack between December 2007 and November 2009.

The money will be distributed among victims whose copyrights were infringed by TVShack.

Mr O'Dwyer's lawyer, Ben Cooper, said it was "a first" in extradition cases.

Mr Cooper said:

Under the agreement, Mr O'Dwyer must also not break any US laws, "associate only with law abiding people" and work regularly in a lawful occupation.

Earlier this year Home Secretary Theresa May approved Mr O'Dwyer's extradition, which he appealed. On November 28 a deal was struck at the High Court in London to avoid him being extradited and led to him signing the three-page deferred prosecution agreement.