Terry Childs, the ex-network admin accused of holding San Francisco's computer network to ransom, is suing the city for $3m.

Childs, who has been in prison since July and is still awaiting trial, wants compensation for lost wages, damages and emotional distress caused by what he claims was his wrongful arrest and imprisonment.

San Francisco is seeking damages from Childs to recover the costs it claims were incurred by his actions.

Childs was suspended from work in July 2008 and refused to hand over passwords, leaving officials shut out of the city's wide area network.

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom visited Childs in prison and convinced him to hand over the passwords.

Childs, 43, is due back in court on 13 February. His lawyer has filed to dismiss three charges as too vague, the SF Examiner reports. ®

Related stories

• Rogue admin charges cut to size (24 August 2009)
• Masked passwords must go (30 June 2009)
• Rogue Aus sysadmin jailed over hacking spree (18 March 2009)
• Rogue admin faces court delay (10 February 2009)
• San Francisco's 'rogue' sysadmin faces trial (29 December 2008)
• Rogue SF sysadmin may cost city over $1m (10 September 2008)
• Oops - SF prosecutors put city passwords on public record (28 July 2008)
• San Francisco sysadmin stays in jail for now (23 July 2008)
• Rogue SF sysadmin coughs up passwords (23 July 2008)
• SF's silent sysadmin pleads not guilty (18 July 2008)
• San Francisco's 'rogue' sysadmin still being paid while in jail (16 July 2008)
• Irate sysadmin locks San Francisco officials out of network (15 July 2008)