Charles Arthur reports:
Investigations into the targeted hacking of celebrities’ iPhone accounts have turned into a child abuse case after it emerged that the US Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney, one of the alleged victims, was under 18 at the time some nude photos were taken.
Under US and other laws, it is illegal to own or share sexual images of another person under 18. With the FBI already investigating the leak, that means that the gang behind the widespread targeted hacking of female celebrities – including Maroney and others – could be facing far more serious charges than those relating to the original theft of the photos.
Although Maroney has denied that the pictures are of her, lawyers acting for the athlete served a legal demand on porn.com, which had been hosting the pictures released on 4chan over the weekend.
Read more on The Guardian.