29-Year-Old Man Arrested in Sofia for Distribution of Child Pornography

Officers from the Computer Crimes Unit of the Economic Police Department at Sofia’s Directorate of Interior, working together with the Cybercrime Directorate of the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP), have uncovered a case involving the distribution of pornographic material featuring minors.

The investigation began following operational intelligence regarding an IP address used to share such content online, Chief Inspector Ivaylo Velichkov, head of the Computer Crimes Unit at Sofia Directorate of Interior, said at a briefing.

“Numerous operational and technical measures were carried out, which led to the identification of the exact physical address from which this IP address was being used,” he added.

The collected materials were reported to the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office.

“A pre-trial investigation was opened, during which authorisations for searches and seizures were obtained and executed,” Velichkov noted.

During a search of a two-storey house in Sofia, authorities found a 29-year-old man, previously unknown to law enforcement, living alone in the property, which is registered in his name.

“During the search, multiple computer systems, laptops, and digital storage devices were seized, containing pornographic material involving minors,” Velichkov said.

At this stage, there is no evidence that the suspect produced the material himself, nor has it been confirmed whether the children depicted are Bulgarian citizens. The content was likely downloaded from foreign websites using specialised software.

“The materials will be reported to the district prosecutor’s office, and multiple expert analyses will be conducted to establish the exact content of the seized items,” Velichkov added.

Financial flows linked to the man have also been checked, but police declined to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.

The suspect has been detained for 24 hours.