Jan de Wit admitted that he created the worm by using a virus creation toolkit. However, he claimed that he posted the virus to a newsgroup "without thinking" of the consequences, and that no damage was intended or proven. The court rejected his arguments.
De Wit, who was charged for distributing data with the intention of damaging a computer network, was initially convicted by a Dutch district court in September 2001. The country's maximum sentence for the offence is 10 years in prison and a fine of approximately £26,500.