Ryan Collins, 36, was formally charged on Wednesday for allegedly leaking explicit photos of celebrities in 2014, then dubbed “Celebgate.” According to the Department of Justice, the Pennsylvania native has been charged with felony computer hacking. Collins signed a plea agreement, in which he will plead guilty for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and faces up to five years in prison.
Collins accessed the iCloud and Gmail accounts of more than 100 individuals using a phishing scheme he ran from November 2012 to September 2014. The scam entailed asking the victims for their login details in emails that seemed to come from Apple or Google. Once the details were provided, Collins had full access to accounts, including nude images, videos and phone numbers.
“Today, people store important private information in their online accounts and in their digital devices,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker in a statement. “Lawless unauthorized access to such private information is a criminal offense.”
Thus far, authorities can prove that Collins hacked 72 Gmail accounts and 50 iCloud accounts. Should authorities find evidence suggesting he was responsible for leaking nude images, then his sentence could be lengthened.
“By illegally accessing intimate details of his victims’ personal lives, Mr. Collins violated their privacy and left many to contend with lasting emotional distress, embarrassment and feelings of insecurity,” said David Bowdich, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office in a statement. “We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information.”
As part of the plea agreement, the defendant and prosecutor will recommend an 18-month sentencing, but the final verdict will depend on the sentencing judge. Collins faces up to five years in prison and while he has been charged in Los Angeles, he will serve his sentence in Harrisburg, Penn.
