The prison sentences imposed on an Ibiza computer technician convicted of accessing and storing intimate material belonging to clients have been reduced by more than 40 years following a ruling by the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands.

The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Baleares (TSJIB) has reduced the combined prison sentences from 60 years and six months to 19 years, seven months and 15 days.

The court attributed the reduction to what Spanish law describes as a very highly qualified mitigating circumstance for undue delays in the judicial proceedings. The judgment, dated September 15, 2026, otherwise maintains the convictions and the facts established by the Provincial Court.

More Than Eight Years Between the Start of the Case and Trial

The judicial proceedings began in January 2018, while the trial did not take place until April 2026.

The TSJIB identified several periods of delay during the proceedings. Among them was a period between December 2022 and October 2023 when the proceedings were suspended.

The court also noted that the trial was initially scheduled in July 2024 for October 27, 2025, adding further time to the overall duration of the case.

The court referred to Supreme Court case law concerning lengthy proceedings and concluded that the circumstances justified applying the mitigating factor at its highest level.

However, the TSJIB said the evidence did not establish specific additional harm caused by the delays beyond the general consequences of remaining subject to criminal proceedings for years. It therefore reduced the sentences by one degree rather than eliminating them.

Abuse Sexual Sentence Reduced From Seven Years to Two

One of the largest individual reductions concerns the sexual abuse conviction.

The Provincial Court had imposed a seven-year prison sentence. The TSJIB has reduced that sentence to two years because of the procedural delays.

The sentence for possession of child sexual abuse material for personal use was also reduced, from one year in prison to one month and 15 days.

The remaining prison sentences for the various offences involving the discovery and disclosure of secrets were also reduced. The individual sentences now range from six months to two years, depending on the offence and circumstances of each victim.

In total, the 17 prison sentences imposed by the TSJIB amount to 19 years, seven months and 15 days.

Convictions and Established Facts Remain

The reduction in prison time does not overturn the convictions.

The TSJIB rejected the main arguments presented by the defence concerning the computer evidence, the search of the defendant's home and the chain of custody of the seized devices.

The defence had questioned, among other issues, the handling of hard drives and the hash codes used to verify the integrity of the files.

The court found no basis to invalidate the digital evidence and rejected the arguments challenging the convictions for possession of child sexual abuse material and sexual abuse.

Hundreds of Private Files Found on Seized Equipment

The case originated from the defendant's work repairing computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices in Ibiza.

According to the established facts described in the proceedings, investigators found 314 folders on one of the seized hard drives identified with the names of clients.

The material included intimate photographs and sexual videos that had been obtained without the clients' authorisation. Investigators also found material involving minors.

The case concerned files that the court determined had been stored on the seized equipment, including material that in some instances had previously been deleted from clients' devices.

Sexual Abuse Recorded at the Defendant's Home

The conviction also concerns a sexual abuse committed in 2013.

According to the facts established by the court, a woman stayed overnight at the defendant's home. The court found that he sexually abused her while she was asleep and recorded what happened.

The recordings were subsequently found on a hard drive seized during the investigation. The woman identified herself in the footage, and the court accepted that the recordings had been made at the defendant's home.

The TSJIB rejected the defence arguments concerning this episode while reducing the corresponding prison sentence from seven years to two because of the procedural delays.

Compensation for Victims Remains Unchanged

The court has also maintained the compensation awarded to the victims.

The defence had argued that the amounts were disproportionate because there was no evidence that the intimate photographs and videos had been distributed.

The TSJIB rejected that argument, finding that moral damage can be compensated even when material has not been disseminated and there is no physical injury.

The court also took into account the relationship of trust between the victims and the defendant, who had received their electronic devices in his professional capacity.

Supreme Court Appeal Still Possible

The TSJIB ruling is not necessarily the final stage of the case.

The decision can still be challenged through a cassation appeal before the Criminal Chamber of Spain's Supreme Court.

For now, the latest ruling leaves the convictions and established facts in place while reducing the combined prison terms to 19 years, seven months and 15 days because of the length and delays of the judicial proceedings.