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Homeland Security investigating Leslie Jones website hack

The attack that saw the "Ghostbusters" star's personal information leaked to the web is now under investigation by US authorities.

Michelle Starr Science editor
Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
Michelle Starr
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Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan in "Ghostbusters."

Sony Pictures Entertainment

The hack of Leslie Jones' website has become a federal case.

The US Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division has turned its attention to the breach of the personal website of the comedian and "Ghostbusters" star. Earlier this week, the site was broken into, and the hackers posted Jones' personal information, including her driver's license and passport, as well as nude photos and racist imagery.

According to the Associated Press, ICE said Thursday it would be looking into the attack but that it does not comment further on active investigations.

The attack followed a campaign against Jones last month that subjected her to a barrage of racist and sexist abuse on Twitter. In the wake of that attack, Twitter permanently banned the account of right-wing journalist Milo Yiannopoulos, who was accused of being one of the ringleaders. At the time, Jones described the attack as a "personal hell."

This year's "Ghostbusters" features four women, including Jones, in the lead roles made iconic by four men in the enduringly popular 1984 original. Even before it hit theaters, the new film and its stars had become the target of intense online criticism.