Authorities: Hacker took unreleased music, is arrested in UK

NEW YORK (AP) - A teenage hacker was arrested in England on charges of stealing unreleased songs from international music artists and selling them for cryptocurrency, authorities in New York and London said.

The 19-year-old man was arrested Thursday in Ipswich, England, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said. His name was withheld by authorities in both countries because of the United Kingdom's privacy laws.

The law enforcement authorities did not say which recording artists' music was stolen. The man accessed the musicians' websites and cloud-based accounts illegally, they said.

Vance's office said it began investigating after receiving referrals from music management companies.

"As one of the world's leading creative capitals, New York City is dedicated to protecting artists' intellectual property and ensuring that those who steal it face the music," he said.

Detective Inspector Nick Court of the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit said in a prepared statement: "Today's action marks a significant point in our investigation into the individuals responsible for stealing music and selling it on illegal streaming websites, worldwide. This sort of crime causes significant financial loss to those who work so incredibly hard to produce, write and make music for their fans to love and enjoy."