A military judge has declined to toss out one of the most serious charges faced by Bradley Manning, the US Army private who admitted to supplying a massive cache of documents to WikiLeaks.

On Thursday, Judge Denise Lind denied Manning’s attorney’s motion to dismiss the “aiding the enemy” charge, the most serious of the 11 other charges that he is currently contesting at his military trial, and one that carries a potential penalty of life imprisonment.

According to the Los Angeles Times, which is reporting from the Ft. Meade military courtroom, the judge said that Manning knew from his experience in the military that terrorist groups use the Internet. "He was knowingly providing information to the enemy,” she stated.

The 10 charges to which Manning has already plead guilty—including “mishandling classified material”—could mean 20 years in prison.

“He knew exactly what he was doing,” Capt. Angel Overgaard, a military prosecutor, told the court. “He knew exactly the consequences of his actions.”