The man responsible for leaking Madonna’s Rebel Heart songs has been arrested in Israel. Investigators discovered the 39-year-old not only hacked Madonna’s songs, but other singers’ music as well.
When the songs leaked, Madonna likened it to “artistic rape” and a “form of terrorism.”
The Israeli man was arrested on Wednesday. Due to a gag ordered, his name has not been released. Madonna hired private investigator, Asher Wizman, who traced the leaks back to this man.
"Our investigator found her computers, at home and at a studio, were broken into from a computer in Israel," Wizman told Reuters. "We tracked down the computer, and the man behind it. After gathering enough evidence, we turned to the police and he was arrested today."
The perpetrator had hacked into other artists’ computers and stole unreleased tracks to sell them over the internet. A police spokesman said he’s been accused of “computer hacking, copyright violation and fraudulent receipt of goods” but has not been charged yet.
In December, Madonna did end up releasing six songs from the album but voiced her frustration in a statement, Rolling Stone reports.
"I was hoping to release my new single 'Living for Love' on Valentine's Day with the rest of the album coming in the spring," she said. "I would prefer my fans to hear completed versions of some of the songs instead of the incomplete tracks that are circulating. Please consider these six songs as an early Christmas gift."
image courtesy of Kirkland/MPI/INFevents.com