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Pippa Middleton’s Photos Stolen: Hacker Trying To Sell Nude Pictures And Private Photos Of Kate Middleton’s Family

By Treva Bowdoin
Published on: 13:48 PST, Sep 23, 2016

Pippa Middleton is the latest celebrity to fall victim to a hacker going after intimate photos of the rich and famous. Kate Middleton’s younger sister reportedly had thousands of photos stolen by someone who is hoping to sell them to a publication willing to face the potential legal repercussions of publishing the ill-gotten images.

According to the Sun, Pippa Middleton’s iCloud account was recently hacked. The British tabloid reports that it has been contacted by the hacker peddling the personal pictures, which number over 3,000. The thief told the Sun that it could pay £50,000 (about $65,000 USD) to obtain the photos, and the publication was given 48 hours to meet the hacker’s monetary demand. However, in communications with the Sun, the hacker acknowledged that the photos would likely end up being purchased by a U.S. publication because of U.K. privacy laws.

The hacker is reportedly male, and he used the name “Crafty Cockney” in the messages that he sent to the Sun. He claimed that the photos he gained access to include nude snapshots of Pippa Middleton’s fiance, James Matthews, as well as intimate family photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their two young children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

If the stolen photos were purchased and published, they would spoil Pippa Middleton’s big wedding dress reveal. The hacker reportedly used a photo that was taken during one of Pippa’s gown fittings to prove that he wasn’t lying about being in possession of the pictures. However, the image he provided to the Sun was digitally altered so that Pippa’s wedding gown isn’t visible in it.

The tabloid immediately contacted Pippa and James to warn them about the cyber criminal, and a spokesman for the couple responded by saying that their attorneys and the police have been informed about the privacy breach. It’s reported that the hacker also gained access to private messages that reveal information about Pippa Middleton and James Matthews’ wedding, including the event’s guestlist and venue.

The Mirror is calling the theft of Pippa’s photos an messages “the biggest celebrity hacking since ‘the fappening,'” which is the name Reddit users came up with for the massive flood of nude celebrity photos that were leaked in 2014. Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton were two of the numerous stars who had their nude photos stolen and posted on various websites like Reddit and 4chan. According to the Huffington Post, Andrew Helton, a hacker who stole nude photos from 13 unnamed celebrities, was sentenced to six months in federal prison in July. Helton used a phishing scheme to gain access to the stars’ iCloud accounts. There have been no reports that Pippa’s hacker is in possession of any nude photos of the author with a penchant for party planning.

“Crafty Cockney” claims that he did steal some pictures of Pippa partying with her pals, but Kate Middleton’s sister recently insisted that she’s more than a party girl.

“People see me as someone privileged who has used my position to advantage; that I don’t really work, that I am a socialite — that word really irritates me — and that I’m a party girl without any substance,” Pippa said during a recent interview with the Daily Mail.

The 33-year-old brunette Brit has been busy planning her wedding to financier James Matthews, and she’s also promoting a new book focused on fitness and healthy food. Pippa definitely didn’t need the added stress of dealing with a leaked photo scandal during such a hectic time in her life, but she’s said that she’s a tough girl who can handle the many pitfalls of being famous.

“I have had a few years of being in the public eye and I have developed something of a thick skin,” Middleton told the Daily Mail.

However, Pippa Middleton did admit that dealing with the intrusive paparazzi and persistent gossip about her family can be “unnerving,” and she said that adjusting to life in the spotlight has been tough for her future husband.

“It’s been a real eye-opener for James. There have been quite a few hurdles to negotiate,” she confessed.

Thanks to the sneaky paparazzi, Pippa Middleton and Kate Middleton have both survived having their topless photos spread all across the internet. Perhaps they’re helping James Matthews prepare for the potential publication of his nude photos.

[Featured Image by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]

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