A number of 53 criminal cases over cybercrimes were started in the first half of this year, as opposed to 39 in the corresponding period last year. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, most of these refer to child pornography, violation of the right to respect for private life, and computer forgery and fraud, IPN reports.

Other cases were started over violation of the secrecy of correspondence, violation of copyright and related rights, intellectual property infringement, use of counterfeit cards, illegal access to telecommunications networks, etc.

In the period, the courts of law passed five sentences convicting nine persons. Three persons were sentenced to jail and fined, two persons were put on probation, while another four persons were only fined.

The prosecutors are obliged to report the computer and telecommunications offenses to the prosecutor general within 24 hours.