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Hacker Who Stole Photos From 200 Celebs Gets Sentenced To Jail Time

Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.
A third hacker responsible for stealing private photos from more than 200 celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence and Gabrielle Union, has been sentenced to eight months in prison, USA Today reports.
The man, George Garofano, worked with Ryan Collins and Edward Majerczyk, both of whom have been sentenced to serve time for their part in the scheme that Lawrence once described as "a sex crime." The fourth man, Emilio Herrera, is currently awaiting sentencing, according to USA Today. In 2013 and 2014, the men allegedly tricked celebrities into handing over private account information by posing as representatives for companies such as Apple and Google. Among the celebrities hacked were Vanessa Hudgens, Kim Kardashian, Hope Solo, Kate Upton, Rihanna, and Avril Lavigne.
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Lawrence has been outspoken about the hacks over the past few years, detailing to reporters how the experience left her feeling violated, ashamed, and "terrified" of the paparazzi, which ultimately kept her from suing.
"When the hacking thing happened, it was so unbelievably violating that you can't even put it into words. I think I'm still actually processing it," the actress told Scott Feinberg during an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast in 2017. "I feel like I got gang-banged by the fucking planet. There's not one person in the world that is not capable of seeing these intimate photos of me. You can just be at a barbecue, and somebody can just pull them up on their phone. That was a really impossible thing to process."
Though the hack happened years ago, Lawrence admitted that the massive violation still impacts her day-to-day life, including when she's on set. Earlier this year, she opened up about what it was like for her to film a nude scene for Red Sparrow, in which she played a seductive spy.
"It was never my choice for the world to see my naked body. I didn't get to make that decision," Lawrence told Total Film in regards to the hacks. "In doing this film, in doing this for my art ... I really felt, I still feel, empowered. I feel like I took something back that was taken from me."
Hopefully, the latest sentencing will bring Lawrence and the other victims some form of peace as they all work to reclaim their sovereignty over their bodies.
A representative for Jennifer Lawrence did not immediately respond to Refinery29's request for comment.

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