The FBI Is Now Involved in Hunt for the Celebrity Nude Photo Hacker
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, 09-07-2014 at 12:09 AM (2346 Views)
The FBI is looking into the iCloud celebrity photos hack, though it did not say whether it has opened an investigation.
An anonymous user began posting nude photos of actors and celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Mary E. Winstead on the website 4Chan on Sunday afternoon after allegedly stealing the photos from the stars' iCloud accounts. As the images began to spread, the user posted a list of dozens of other celebrities that he or she claims to have photos and videos of. Some photos have been verified by the subjects, while the authenticity of others has been contested.
“The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter," FBI public affairs officer Christopher Allen said in a statement provided to Mashable. "Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time.”
A representative from the Los Angeles Police Department told Mashable that it is "not investigating any hacking incidents."
Spokespersons for Jennifer Lawrence told Mashable they had gotten in touch with "authorities" soon after nude pictures of Lawrence began appearing online Sunday.
“This is a flagrant violation of privacy," a spokesperson for Lawrence said. "The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.”
Apple also told Mashable that it is looking into the hack.
"We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report," Apple representatives said.
Though no legal authority has confirmed opening a criminal case investigating the privacy breach, recent precedent shows that the hacker could face serious time behind bars.
Christopher Chaney was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2012 after he was convicted of hacking into celebrity email accounts, stealing nude images of stars such as Scarlett Johansson and Mila Kunis, and posting those photos online.
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