FORT MEADE, Md. -- The US Army private accused of slipping secrets to the Wikileaks website pleaded guilty on Thursday to 10 lesser charges that he misused classified information in the biggest leak of government secrets in US history.

Private First Class Bradley Manning faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the 10 charges he pleaded guilty to before military judge Colonel Denise Lind in a pre-trial hearing prior to his court martial, set to begin June 3.