Justice For A Naked Scarlett Johansson: Alleged Cell Phone Hacker Arrested

by Nando Di Fino | 8:03 am, October 13th, 2011

» 30 comments

About a month ago, some teenage boy, somewhere, blew out his birthday candles and made a very specific wish. The next day, two pictures of a naked Scarlett Johansson hit the Internet (link is NSFW). Coincidence? Perhaps. But the released photos were already in the line of fire for authorities, who had been seeking out the perpetrator behind the hacking of celebrity phones and email accounts since at least March. On Wednesday, an indictment was unsealed in the U.S. District Court in California, revealing that Christopher Chaney, a 35 year-old Jacksonville resident, was believed to be behind the hacking. He was charged with eight counts of aggravated identity theft, nine counts of wiretapping, and nine counts of computer hacking. If found guilty on all charges, he could face 121 years in prison.

Cheney’s methods, as ultimately immoral as they might have been, smacked of brilliance in their simplicity. He allegedly used readily-available public information to make guesses at the passwords or password reminder questions of some celebrities (like your high school, or mother’s maiden name). When he figured them out, he would mine the accounts for other celebrity emails, using information to guess their passwords. He’d also forward mail accounts to his own (in the indictment, his aliases were trainreqsuckswhat, anonygrrl, and jaxjaguars911), so any, say, nude photos or movie scripts sent to a hacked celebrity were unwittingly forwarded to Chaney. Authorities also said he had access to the celebrities’ financial information.

As conditions of Chaney’s bail — he’s free after posting a $10,000 unsecured bond — he is forbidden from using any computer or other device with Internet access (so if he’s a Blackberry user, no problem) and he can’t have any controlled substances or excessive use of alcohol. He’s scheduled to appear in court tomorrow for an identity hearing.

Other fun little nuggets from the indictment and press conference held by Andre Birotte, Jr:
-The only two names that aren’t represented by initials are those of Mila Kunis, Johansson, Renee Olstead, Christina Aguilera, and designer/stylist Simone Harouche.
-Those identified with initials included B.P., J.A., L.B., L.S., D.F., and B.G. Guess away!
-The FBI is referring to the case as “Hackerazzi.”
-Even though we think of wiretapping as a phone crime, Birotte explained that the same statute prohibits someone from intercepting emails.

Nude Photos, Phone Hacking, Scarlett Johansson

Anonymous

Didn’t Johansson lie around taking nude pictures of herself? Weird. Then she whines when they float around cyber-space?
Anonymous

“Those identified with initials included B.P., J.A., L.B., L.S., D.F., and B.G”

I don’t know who all those chicks are — but the guy must be sick stealing naked photos of Dianne Feinstein.
http://twitter.com/LukeAtomic Luke Atomic

Normally, prosecutors don’t use real initials in their pleadings. It’s an old trick to throw people off. For example, they would claim that John Doe’s initials are B.S. Any guesses as to their real identities would be fruitless.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QSKMPRZSWAHFSA2HMYAWRPJUKU Gary

Yeah it’s real weird when her right to privacy is invaded by some knuckle-head and her private images are splashed all over the internet for idiots like you to gawk at.
Guest

I know, right? Clearly she intended for those pictures to be seen by everyone.
Anonymous

mediaite should NOT be including the link to the photos. The photos were illegally obtained, so at best this is immoral, at worst maybe worthy of a legal lawsuit. No one should have to worry that hacked photos will be posted by reputable media, ever.
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

They guy deserves to go to prison, he’s a scumball!!
Anonymous

she whines when someone “steals” something that doesn’t belong to them? Can you even imagine the stupid woman!

You really do need a good dose of common sense carltonthedoorman.
Anonymous

I agree he should be jailed AND SO SHOULD MEDIAITE for lowering
themselves to rag status for republishing.
Tawny Jones

Thanks for the link. You can see the silly cow with her arm extended as she holds the camera out. What a narcissist. Haahaahaaaa. She wanted attention to jump start her fading career.
Anonymous

How in the world would decent people stand out but for a$$holes like you!
Thanks for the contrast.
I don’t even like the girl but how the heII do u know what she was attempting to do?
Maybe she was mailing pic to her significant other?
WHAT PART OF PRIVATE PHOTOS HACKED* DO U NOT UNDERSTAND?
http://impossibledreamsmedia.com Chris Jones

That’s awesome. I would like to have seen all the stuff he got access to.
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

Mediaite is just covering a story that every news outlet is doing!!

I guess Fox News lowered themselves too??

Lone Wolf Named in Multi-Count Indictment Involving Scarlett Johansson’s Hacked Nude PhotosRead more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/10/12/lone-wolf-named-in-multi-count-indictment-involving-scarlett-johanssons-hacked/#ixzz1agY1jf4p
Anonymous

poor scarlett, someone must have made her take skin pics of herself and send them to someone. I hope her whole body is prettier than she is. She looks like a dutch milkmaid. She should be glad someone cares, most of us don’t. I’m so sick of all of this crap with our starlets, or whatever they call themselves. . .get over yourself, dear, you’re not all that.
Anonymous

so true!. any site that links to the illegal photos can also be sued, so I hope she’s got her lawyers sending letters.
Anonymous

so agree. The story is fine, but the main picture and link to the pictures is wrong. The picture, link should be removed and an apology issued. so wrong!
Anonymous

it’s her own camera, and can’t we assume it was for her boyfriend and not whatever you’re envisioning here. That’s her privacy, I feel for her!
Anonymous

Does Fox have the hacked PIC of her on their Site?NO
They covered the STORY.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QPBKSRE2FD5XHF5SHLLYI4XTJI Mikey

I saw those those photos 0f SJ..They look like man boobies to me..I don’t get the fuss over this chick one bit.
Anonymous

Especially since corporations are people now…like Willard said.
Thesunnvrsetson

DF..Dakota Fanning.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SIYF5565LXG7BBKTKGSSFWU7TA The Rock

So what your saying is that celebs should be hacked which is wrong and claims are lies as well.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SIYF5565LXG7BBKTKGSSFWU7TA The Rock

Your idiot & moron so i guess you would want hacker hacking into your photos unless it doesn’t happen to you you don’t care if it happens to a famous person. People like you is what is wrong with the world.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SIYF5565LXG7BBKTKGSSFWU7TA The Rock

Your idiot moron and loser that needs to get a life for supporting hackers.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SIYF5565LXG7BBKTKGSSFWU7TA The Rock

All claims are baseless and lies and your being judgemental as well and loser that doesn’t have a life that supports hackers. Your idiot & moron.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SIYF5565LXG7BBKTKGSSFWU7TA The Rock

Glad they caught the hacker no one should be hacked and there photos spread around online unless they want to share otherwise they should be off limits. I’m amaze that some here supported this hacker you should be ashamed of yourselfs supporting this person which what he did is a crime I hope he gets 121 years in jail pretty much means he will be there for life.
Anonymous

the “pebble” suits you, of course you’ve heard of “dumb as a rock”. What kind of pathetic knight in rusty armor are you anyway. You should know about idiots and morons. . because you define both words well. I don’t care if you rub her naked pic all over your disgusting body. . . . . you just like to hear yourself insult other commenters. You must have a rocky existence. . . . . shoo, go away. . far far away.
Susanjohn196444

Why should you feel sorry for this creep? He got caught! Yea! He should serve his jail time and he should be an example and poster boy for everyone who invades someone elses privacy.
Anonymous

Want to try again?

Lay requires a direct object (ie. you lay something down, for example a book), lie does not. Carlton used lie correctly, not you. Scarlett was lying around / lying on her bed.

If you’re going to be a grammar Nazi, please know what you’re talking about first, then when you use words like “moron” it won’t bite you in the ass.
Anonymous

I’ll only believe corporations are people once the state of Texas executes one of them.