The U.S. soldier in the middle of the WikiLeaks scandal involving thousands of the military’s classified documents is 23 years old—and gay.
Private First Class Bradley Manning lip-synced Lady Gaga songs while downloading thousands of classified documents from military computers, BBC News reported. He was an intelligence analyst, and had access to a lot of sensitive data.
According to friends, Manning was frustrated because of a career that he perceived was in a rut as well as with his personal life. Manning—who grew up in Oklahoma and then moved to Wales as a teen—reportedly was teased for being a geek and was bullied because of his sexuality.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is among those condemning WikiLeaks for releasing the information, according to CNN.com. She said what the website has done “is not just an attack on America’s foreign policy; it is an attack on the international community, the alliances and partnerships, the conventions and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity.”
Manning—who has been charged with “transferring classified data” and “delivering national defense information to an unauthorized source”—is awaiting court-martial, IBTimes.com reported. If found guilty, he could receive up to 52 years in jail.