A Chicago man has been sentenced to nine months in prison for hacking into the electronic accounts of 30 celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, and stealing private information. Edward Majerczyk, 29, was also ordered to pay $4,900 in restitution to one celebrity victim whose photos were shared online.
Mr Majerczyk was accused of organising a phising scheme that illegally accessed more than 300 email and other online accounts. According to his plea deal, he sent out emails that appeared to have come from internet service providers asking for usernames and passwords.
Jennifer Lawrence was among the victims of the photo hack
He pleaded guilty last year to one count of unauthorised access to a protected computer to obtain information. Investigators said they did not uncover any evidence suggesting he was responsible for selling or posting the material online.
In 2014, personal photos of celebrities, including Jennifer, Kate Upton and Kirsten Dunst were shared on various website. The case, known as celebgate, made headlines worldwide, with Jennifer telling Vanity Fair that the hacking was a "sex crime".
In sentencing, Mr Majerczyk’s lawyer said that at the time of the offence his client was suffering from depression and had "consistently expressed remorse" for the hacking. He will begin serving his sentence on 27 February.
In October 2016, in a separate case, 36-year-old Ryan Collins was sentenced to 18 months in jail for a similar hack.
