Gymnast McKayla Maroney wasn't spared from the massive hack that led to the public sharing of naked photos of celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ariana Grande, Victoria Justice, and many others. The photos of the gymnast were taken when she was underage and could add child pornography to the charges against the poster or distributor of the leaked photos.
The Team USA gymnast has already said that the leaked photos weren't authentic through Twitter, says TMZ. Her post said that the fake photos were "crazy" and that "the creator" needed Jesus. Maroney also added in another tweet: "Shout out to my fans for defending me all day long.. even when things got weird u stood by me. And that meant the world." However, this did not stop the photos from spreading.
E! Online relays that one of the sites showing Maroney's leaked photos was Porn.com, but a lawyer of the athlete have already had them taken down due to Maroney being a minor when the photos were taken. However, the photos have already been circulated elsewhere. E! Online say that there is a subreddit called "The Fappening" where the photos have ended up after being posted first on 4chan.
Also according to the article, Reddit moderators have already addressed the issue with a statement. The statement read: "The reddit.com site admins have let us known that McKayla Maroney was underage in the photos as well and that we need to remove them. If we don't remove them, then this subreddit will most likely be banned (very quickly)." The subreddit apparently also included photos of MTV star Liz Lee when she was only 16, which will also be deleted though they were not part of the leak and had been taken by her ex. Fox News also reports that a second attorney was in communication with other sites, saying that Maroney owned the right to the photos.
A child pornography charge will be added to the poster's "future headaches" if the photos aren't taken down, says Complex.
Maroney's teammates have decided not to remain silent and expressed concern about the issue involving their co-athlete. Aly Raisman, a member of the US women's gymnastics team, supported Maroney and other victims of the hack with a Twitter post: "This scandal is not a joke and it is upsetting that an invasion of privacy results in entertainment for some." Raisman also encouraged everyone to respect the privacy of the settings of the photos and reiterated that they were not meant to be seen in public. "Every person is entitled to their own privacy. I am saddened that something like this has happened and I hope it never happens again," Raisman said in another Twitter post.
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