Source: Google+/Ryan Collins
Ryan Collins has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for hacking into the online accounts of female celebrities.
The 36-year-old Pennsylvania resident admitted gaining access to more than 100 Google and Apple accounts between November 2012 and September 2014 and stealing private information, including nude photos and videos.
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Jennifer Lawrence, Gabrielle Union, Kaley Cuoco and Kirsten Dunst were among the celebrities whose accounts were compromised.
In May, Collins pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.
At a court in Harrisburg, PA on Thursday, District Court Judge William W. Caldwell sentenced Collins to 18 months in prison, according to a press release issued by officials at the Department of Justice.
The investigation was sparked by the leaking of nude photos and videos of female celebrities online.
Agents from the FBI found Collins used software to download the contents of individuals’ online accounts after gaining access by sending the women emails purporting to be from Apple or Google.
However, investigators did not find any evidence it was Collins who leaked the intimate images or videos online.
Collins was taken into custody directly after sentencing.
