Man Who Hacked Nude Photos in “Celebgate” Scandal Likely to Receive Prison Sentence
Ryan Collins, the man behind the nude photo hack of numerous Hollywood celebrities in 2014, is expected to be sentenced to a term of incarceration in federal prison after pleading guilty to criminal charges.
When the nude photos of celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Kaley Cuoco and Kate Upton were leaked online, the ensuing scandal became known as “Celebgate” or “The Fappening.”
The resulting media coverage, much of which came from mainstream media outlets, caused a great deal of embarrassment for the women who were victimized. Female stars in a variety of entertainment fields, including movies, television, music and modeling, were put in the impossible position of having to either remain silent about their victimization or admit that they were in the hacked photographs.
One victim who was particularly vocal after the nude photo leak was Jennifer Lawrence, who has starred in several major Hollywood movies in recent years. Lawrence spoke out about the Celebgate scandal and said that she felt like she was the victim of a sex crime. Although Collins was not ultimately charged with a sex offense in connection with his hacking of the private photographs and videos, he did face severe consequences.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) eventually got involved and determined that Collins was the person who hacked the celebrity accounts and stole the private images. (However, investigators said they did not find any evidence to suggest that the computer hacker had actually leaked the nude photographs on the Internet.) Collins was subsequently charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
After a plea deal in the case was announced, Eileen M. Decker, a United States Attorney who assisted with the case, said that it is important for people – even those who are not famous – to be cautious with their sensitive and personal information and to take steps to protect their data “from the malicious actions of sophisticated hackers and cyber criminals.”
For more information about the Celebgate hacking scandal, read the Billboard.com article, “Man Admits Stealing Nude Photos of Jennifer Lawrence & More Stars.”
If you’ve been arrested and charged with an Internet sex crime, illegal computer hacking or any other kind of criminal offense in New Jersey, you need to talk to a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney immediately. Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of John W. Tumelty today to schedule a free consultation about your case.
