Tel Aviv June 28 (IANS) An Israeli-American teen hacker was found guilty of sending hundreds of false bomb threats to Jewish institutions around the world a court here said on Thursday.
The Tel Aviv District Court found the 19-year-old youth guilty of 28 charges including blackmailing threatening and sending the police false information reports Xinhua news agency.
The hacker s identity was not disclosed because he was a minor when many of the crimes were committed.
His lawyers said the court s decision was made under US pressure to convict the youth.
According to his lawyers the accused has "a mental illness that prevents him from distinguishing between good and evil".
Thursday s conviction refers to only offences committed as an adult but the hacker still awaits a ruling on offences allegedly committed while he was a minor.
According to his indictment he terrorised some 2 000 institutions including airports airline companies police stations and Jewish schools by calling them and saying there was a bomb.
Most of the threats were sent to sites in the US.
He digitally disguised his voice making him sound like a woman.
He was arrested in his home in Ashkelon a city in southern Israel in April 2017 following a request by the FBI.

--IANS ksk/bg