Maroney, part of the United States team that won team gold at London 2012, is one of hundreds of celebrities who has seen explicit photos leaked onto several websites in recent weeks.

Maroney's attorney has reportedly written to websites, including Porn.com demanding that the nude photos of the teenager be taken down.

It is claimed that the photos of the two-time world champion were taken before she turned 18 on December 16, although Malorney previously claimed that they were "fake".

Following the demands, a representative from Porn.com has claimed the photos have been removed from the website.

Hundreds of celebrities have seen private photos from mobile phones and personal devices leaked over recent weeks with the Apple iCloud thought to be the source of the leaked images.

Photos and other information stored on an IOS-based device can be backed up on the iCloud allowing easy access to the data from different devices.

The information is protected by a password and a security question.

These accounts are allegedly being hacked into with the passwords or security questions seen as easily obtainable due to their simplistic nature.

McKayla Maroney was part of the United States gymnastics team that won the Olympic gold medals at London 2012 ©Getty Images



Maroney Tweeted to her 482,000 followers yesterday she was trying to "rise above" the "fake" images.

She wrote: "the fake photos of me are crazy!! was trying to rise above it all, and not give "the creator" the time of day.. BUT.."

But, the legal move from Maroney's lawyers, suggests authenticity of her photos.

She also tweeted: "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."

The teenager has received backing from many fans and team mates since the photos were leaked, including fellow London 2012 team member Alexandra Raisman.

"This scandal is not a joke and it is upsetting that an invasion of privacy results in entertainment for some," Raisman said on Twitter.

"Please respect the fact that the photos were private and not for the whole world to see. My heart is broken for the women who were violated."

The FBI and Apple have launched inquiries into allegations that online accounts of celebrities were hacked, after naked photos of some A-list stars were posted online.

The FBI said in a statement it is "aware" of the hacking allegations and is "addressing the matter."

They did not say what actions it was taking to investigate who was responsible for posting naked photos.

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