Scarlett Johansson hacker gets 10 years in prison

A man who hacked into Scarlett Johansson's email account has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

33-year-old Christopher Chaney had also hacked into the accounts of around 50 others, including actresses Mila Kunis and Renee Olstead, and singer Christina Aguilera.

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He then distributed nude pictures of Johansson and Olstead, star of 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager', online.

Judge S. James Otero said that Chaney has shown a 'callous disregard to the victims', some of whom he had stalked online for over 10 years.

He was also ordered to pay $66,179 in compensation.

Chaney pleaded guilty to nine felony counts in all, including wiretapping and gaining unauthorised access to protected computers.

He had frequently gained access to the email accounts through guess work, sometimes using pets' names as passwords.

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“I don't want to compare it to throwing a touchdown pass,” he told GQ magazine. “But it was a rush.”

He also accessed the accounts of Hollywood producers, and observed the break-up of Johansson and her ex-husband Ryan Reynolds through her email.

“They were discussing, I guess, aspects of who gets what,” he said. “It was weird to read stuff like that. It was almost too personal.”

“Mr. Chaney methodically targeted his victims based on their celebrity without regard for the law or the impact the theft of personal and intimate details would have to their lives,” said Los Angeles' FBI assistant director Bill Lewis.

“This case illustrates the need for cybersecurity vigilance by computer users and, in addition, may serve as a deterrent for anyone contemplating similar intrusions.”