Celebrity Nude Photos Leak: Anonymous Hacker Claims To Be On The Run As FBI Investigates Case

An anonymous individual, who claimed responsibility for hacking and distributing online nude pictures of celebrities, has gone on the run, the Daily Mail reported Monday. The hacker, referred to as “Original Guy,” reportedly posted a series of messages on the “Deep Web,” a part of the Internet inaccessible to standard search engines, where the photos are believed to have first been posted a week ago.

The person, who claimed to be in charge of the hack and the people responsible for it, reportedly thanked supporters, and revealed that they were on the run from authorities, including the FBI, which took over the investigation to hunt down the hacker. Nude photos of celebrities, including "Hunger Games" actress Jennifer Lawrence, model Kate Upton and Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice, reportedly surfaced on the Internet Sunday evening.

“Guys, just to let you know I didn't do this by myself,” the anonymous hacker wrote, according to the Daily Mail. “There are several other people who were in on it and I needed to count on to make this happened.

“This is the result of several months of long and hard work by all involved. We appreciate your donations and applaud your excitement,” the posts reportedly read. “I will soon be moving to another location from which I will continue to post.”

According to reports, it was revealed on Monday that a 27-year-old software designer from Georgia, Bryan Hamade, might be behind the massive leak of nude photos. Hamade became a suspect after some his posts on the forum Reddit, under the username "BluntMastermind," apparently included the same computer and network names as the one involved in the scandal. Hamade has reportedly denied the allegations and told MailOnline that his attempt to make some money from the scandal had backfired.

“I am not the original leaker,” Hamade told MailOnline. “I only reposted one thing that was posted elsewhere and stupidly had my network folders visible.”

The photos, which were posted to the "4chan" image board and social media site Reddit, grabbed attention of Internet users Sunday evening, following a security flaw in Apple's iCloud service.

“We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report,” Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said, adding that the company is investigating the possible breach of several iCloud accounts.