JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Israeli man suspected of hacking into Madonna’s computer and leaking songs for an upcoming album was arrested in Tel Aviv.
The man, 39, was arrested Wednesday following an undercover investigation by the Internet crime unit of Israel’s anti-fraud police. He also is accused of hacking into the computers of several other international artists.
The alleged hacker, whose name is being protected by the court, reportedly sold the unreleased tracks online after stealing them in December.
When the 27 tracks were released, Madonna released six early. She called the theft “a form of terrorism” and the equivalent of “artistic rape.”
The suspect reportedly was a former contestant on an Israeli reality show singing competition. He will be charged with computer trespassing, fraud and intellectual property offenses.
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