A 16-year-old Lisbon-based computer hacker faces five years in prison if convicted of attacks on websites including the one run by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ).
The youth was detained by the National Unit to Combat Cybercrime and Technological Crime (UNC3T), a division of the PJ, and he is said to have links to Anonymous and to other computer hackers and to have participated in attacks on the Attorney General's Office website and those of some large, but unnamed, companies.
The young computer expert is said to have used some ‘unusual techniques’ which may make it easier to prove his involvement in the alleged crimes, and was detained at home where he lives with his parents who apparently were unaware of their son's activity. The boy’s room was kitted out with sophisticated computer equipment.
Links to Anonymous and other hackers have been under investigation for two years and the youth is the youngest of the 32 people that have been arrested since the beginning of the investigation into these ‘hacktivists.’
Anonymous started in 2003 as a loosely associated international network of activist and hacktivist entities. The group has become noted for a series of well-publicised publicity stunts and has distributed 'denial-of-service' attacks on government, religious, and corporate websites
The PJ say the youth is accused of 'computer sabotage' and could receive a prison sentence of five years, or a 600 day fine, under the Cybercrime Act.
He is accused also of ‘illegitimate access’ but this depends on one of the site owners making a formal complaint, which no doubt the Attorney General's Office or the PJ will do.
As the youth has had his 16th birthday, he faces charges as an adult.
