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Ex-teacher pleads guilty in ‘celebgate’ case
The Associated Press//October 23, 2018
(AP) A former teacher has pleaded guilty in the 2014 “celebgate” scandal in which hackers obtained nude photographs and other private information from more than 200 people, including celebrities.
Christopher Brannan entered guilty pleas in federal court Oct. 22 to charges of aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access to a protected computer, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Brannan is the fifth person charged in the scandal. He is a former special needs teacher at Lee-Davis High School in Hanover County.
Prosecutors have not released the names of the celebrities who were targeted, but actress Jennifer Lawrence has acknowledged that she was a victim of the hacking.
Brannan will be sentenced Jan. 25. Under a plea deal, prosecutors and Brannan’s lawyer have recommended a sentence of just under three years.
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