Scarlett Johansson hacker apologises

Los Angeles - The hacker who stole naked pictures of Scarlett Johansson from her phone has apologised.

Christopher Chaney, 35, from Florida, who was arrested on Wednesday, admitted to stealing pictures from Scarlett and other celebrities including Mila Kunis and Vanessa Hudgens and posting them on the internet, claiming the hacking had started as a "curiosity" but spiralled out of control when he became addicted to it.

He told Fox affiliate WAWS: "I deeply apologise. I know what I did was probably one of the worst invasions of privacy someone could experience. And these people don't have privacy to begin with. And I was in that little sliver of privacy they do have.

"(The hacking) started as a curiosity and it turned into just being addicted to seeing the behind-the-scenes of what's going on with these people you see on the big screen every day."

26 counts

"It was almost reading, like, a completely uncensored blog. I wasn't saving the emails to blackmail someone.

"I didn't know how to stop doing it myself, I wasn't attempting to break into emails and get stuff to sell or purposefully put it on the Internet.

"I've had like six months to think about it. It eats at me. When you're doing it, you're not thinking about what's going on with who you're doing it to."

Mr Chaney has been charged with 26 counts of identity theft, unauthorised access to a protected computer and wiretapping and faces up to 121 years in prison if he's convicted.

He is currently out on $10 000 bail after promising that he will not use a computer or access the Internet. His next court date is scheduled for Friday.