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Hackers attacked Palin's account back in September, posting personal messages online, family photographs and even information from her contacts book.

In an embarrassing revelation, David Kernell, the son of a Democratic state representative, took responsibility, claiming he hacked the account with nothing more than some internet research to find enough information for a password reset.

"It took seriously 45 mins on Wikipedia and Google to find the info. Birthday? 15 seconds on Wikipedia. Zip code? Well she had always been from Wasilla, and it only has two zip codes," he noted on the 4chan forum.

However, appearing in court in Tennessee, Kernell pleaded not guilty to gaining unauthorised access to Palin's account. He was released without bail, though limits have been set on his computer use.

He faces up to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

His father denies all knowledge of the incident.