Bradley Manning Pleads Guilty to Spilling Government Secrets; Will Serve 20 Years in Prison

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who was accused of acquiring and transferring highly classified government information that was later published on WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty to 10 charges on Thursday and will serve 20 years in prison as a result, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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But Manning, 25, also pleaded not guilty to an additional 12 charges, including the most serious — espionage and aiding the enemy, which carries a life sentence. He will be tried on those charges in June.

The documents published by WikiLeaks divulged U.S. military secrets and diplomatic strategies that were being employed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations. The information Manning admitted to leaking included an Army field manual, patrol reports from Iraq and Afghanistan, classified records from a bombing in Afghanistan, and assessments of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Manning has already served more than 1,000 days in jail after being arrested in May 2010.