Audio By Carbonatix
A US man who hacked into the email accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera and others has been jailed for 10 years in Los Angeles.
Christopher Chaney, of Jacksonville, Florida, admitted wiretapping and unauthorised access to a computer.
Prosecutors said Chaney had accessed the emails of more than 50 celebrities.
The most notorious incident involved nude photos Johansson had taken of herself for her then-husband that were posted on the internet.
'Operation Hackerazzi'
Chaney, 35, was jailed by US District Judge S James Otero.
"It's hard to fathom the mindset of a person who would accomplish all of this," the judge said, Associated Press reported. "These types of crimes are as pernicious and serious as physical stalking."
Chaney said: "I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry. I could be sentenced to never use a computer again and I wouldn't care."
Johansson, Aguilera and the Friends With Benefits star, Mila Kunis, agreed to waive protection of their identity in order to highlight the issues surrounding such internet hacking.
Chaney, who initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, was arrested in October 2011 as part of a year-long FBI investigation of celebrity hacking that authorities dubbed "Operation Hackerazzi".
Chaney admitted he hacked into the personal emails of his targets by clicking on the "forgot password" feature of their accounts and answering security questions by using publicly available information about celebrities that he found on the internet.
Once in control of the accounts, he obtained private photos, business contracts, scripts, and other documents.
He also went through contacts lists to find other victims and sometimes posed as friends to request more private photos.
Chaney then forwarded many of the images he found, including nude photos of Johansson, to gossip websites which posted them online.
Johansson told Vanity Fair last December that the photos were meant for her then-husband Ryan Reynolds.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Ghana’s Cybele Energy Limited launches oil exploration in Guyana
23 seconds -
There has been significant reconciliation among Kussasis, Mamprusis in other towns – Asantehene
14 minutes -
BoG Governor urges banks to support real sector after policy rate cut
16 minutes -
FIFA introduces $60 Supporter Entry Tier tickets for World Cup 2026
20 minutes -
Gov’t pledges definitive position on Bawku Mediation Report within 24 hours
21 minutes -
Bawku mediation report should bind on all parties – Asantehene
24 minutes -
Asantehene demands enforcement of law recognising Naba Azoka II as Bawku Chief
24 minutes -
Prudential Bank trains merchant partners on POS usage in Accra and Kumasi
31 minutes -
MGL, poultry farmers roll out X’mas Egg Market to tackle egg glut
40 minutes -
ORIGIN8A: Decoding the hidden meaning and intentionality behind Samini’s new album title
42 minutes -
Both sides willingly presented themselves for Bawku mediation process – Asantehene
46 minutes -
I’m not here to say who was right or wrong – Asantehene on Bawku peace process
52 minutes -
Asantehene presents Bawku Peace Mediation Report to Mahama
1 hour -
Analysis: Ghana’s oil exports drop by over $1bn in the first 10 months of 2025
1 hour -
Supreme Court slams EC officials for absenteeism in critical Kpandai re-run case
1 hour
