Hacker Pleads Guilty to Stealing Celebrities' Nude Photos

LOS ANGELES, CA – An Oregon man has pleaded guilty to felony hacking charges for stealing nude photos of celebrities.

Andrew Helton, 29, of Portland, pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act earning him up to five years in prison when sentenced in June.

Helton targeted members of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles with emails purporting to be from Google and Apple. He was able to dupe hundreds of people into giving him their usernames and passwords, according to the U.S. Department of justice. The scheme, which lasted from March 2011 to May 2013, enabled him to access “161 sexually explicit, nude and/or partially nude images of approximately 13 victims, some of whom were celebrities,” said DOJ spokesman Thom Mrozek.

“We have no evidence that the photos were posted online nor do we have evidence that he was shopping them around to any tabloids,” added Mrozek.

Though similar, the case predates ‘celebgate’ in which a hacker accessed more than 600 accounts, accessing and disseminating nude photos of stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, and Kaley Cuoco.

The Department of Justice could would not identify the high profile victims in this case. “We don’t give out names of victims,” Mrozek said.

Like Celebgate, this case came about when Apple identified the breaches and referred the case to the FBI, he added.

“The thought of a stranger accessing your private communications for sport or monetary gain can be devastating,” said David Bowdich, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This insidious crime has distressed scores of average individuals, as well as celebrity victims. The FBI is committed to holding accountable those who illegally intrude upon the cyber landscape, and to educating consumers about strengthening passwords and employing two-factor authentication, among other safeguards.”