FBI name bomb hoax suspect

Collar bomb victim Madeleine Pulver. Photo / Attila Szilvasi

The FBI has named an Australian man arrested in the US over an incident where a fake bomb collar was strapped to the neck of 18-year-old Sydney schoolgirl Madeleine Pulver.

Paul "Doug" Peters, 50, was arrested by detectives from the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad's Strike Force Haddon at about 5.45am AEST (7.45am NZT) this morning, ABC news reported.

Peters, who is an Australian citizen, remains in custody.

New South Wales police assistant commission Dave Hudson said at a press conference this morning the suspect would face extradition after he appeared in a US court today.

Police arrested Peters after they found a "fairly compelling" chain of circumstantial evidence linking him to the incident, Mr Hudson said.

He said Peters, who had indirect links to the Pulver family, would be charged with aggravated breaking and entering.

No one else was being sought in connection to the crime.

Miss Pulver spent 10 hours with a fake bomb attached to her neck after a balaclava-clad intruder broke into the family's Mosman mansion and strapped it to her on August 3.

Technicians from the NSW Police Bomb Squad worked overnight for 10 hours to remove the device from the 18-year-old.

The device was found not to contain any explosives.

NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione said Miss Pulver had been subjected to "torture" during her ordeal.

Before this morning's arrest, numerous media reports surfaced in relation to the incident.

On Sunday, it was reported that police had seized a computer from Kincumber Library on the NSW Central Coast as it was believed to be connected to the note left with the Mosman teenager.

The long, typed note listed strict instructions for the 18-year-old, and made reference to the James Clavell novel Tai-Pan, but included no demands for money.

The note contained a threat to detonate a bomb if Maddie contacted police or tried to disarm it.

Madeline's father, Bill Pulver is the chief executive of Appen Butler Hill, a linguistic software company that specialises in voice recognition software.

Since the incident the family have been urged to increase security around their home and Madeleine has shut down her account on the social networking site Facebook and ditched her mobile phone.

- AAP