Celeb phone hack suspect pleads not guilty
In this Feb.27, 2011 file photo actress Scarlett Johansson arrives at the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Credit: AP
A Florida man has pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles court to hacking into the email accounts of Christina Aguilera and Scarlett Johansson.
Christopher Chaney has been indicted in California on 26 counts, including wiretapping, and faces up to 121 years in prison if convicted, The Associated Press reports.
Federal prosecutors say Chaney hacked into email accounts belonging to Aguilera, Johansson and Mila Kunis. Some nude photos taken by Johansson of herself were posted on the Internet.
Authorities say the 35-year-old suspect offered some material to celebrity blog sites, but there is no evidence that he profited from his scheme.
Chaney is free on $10,000 bond. A trial has been set for Dec. 27.
Chaney's family Tuesday told TMZ.com that Chaney is being made an example of despite not being the main perpetrator of what they described as a ring of hackers.
His mother told the site, "The media has painted him to be this monster and he's not."
However, a search warrant unsealed and obtained by The Associated Press said Chaney's computer hard drive contained numerous private celebrity photos as well as a document that compiled their extensive personal data. The warrant also said Chaney may have stalked a Connecticut woman.
Johansson, who has largely remained silent about the cellphone hacking that resulted in nude photos of her appearing on the Web in September, explained in a new interview that she shot the pictures for her then-husband, Ryan Reynolds.
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