Hollywood hacker who leaked nude Scarlett Johansson photos jailed for ten years

Avengers star Scarlett Johansson took to The Huffington Post to complain about tabloids’ obsession with her (and others') weight loss (REUTERS)

A man who hacked the email accounts of the actress Scarlett Johansson before sending nude photos of the star to gossip websites has been jailed for 10 years.

Christopher Chaney, of Jacksonville, Florida, accessed the personal accounts of more than 50 celebrities.

Nude pictures of Johansson, 29, intended for her ex-husband Ryan Reynolds were subsequently published on the internet.

The 35-year-old admitted wiretapping and unauthorised access to a computer. He was jailed by US District Judge S James Otero yesterday. Judge Otero said: "These types of crimes are as pernicious and serious as physical stalking."

Prosecutors alleged that Chaney illegally hacked the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry.

His named victims include singer Christina Aguilera and actresses Mila Kunis and Johansson - who went public in the hope that publicity around the case would provide awareness about online intrusion.

Others are said to include Jessica Alba and actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens, naked pictures of whom were also released online last year after being stolen from her Gmail account.

Chaney’s arrest by the FBI last August was part of a year-long investigation that has been dubbed "Operation Hackerazzi".

The investigation began in late 2010 as reports began to surface of celebrities' mobile phones and computers being hacked into.