Madonna thanks investigators for arresting album hacker

Madonna has expressed her gratitude to investigators her and in Israel after police arrested a man on suspicion of hacking into the pop star's computer and leaking songs from her forthcoming album Rebel Heart.

On Wednesday (21Jan15), an unnamed 39-year-old man suspected of the hack was detained by members of Israel's Lahav 433 crime-fighting unit.

A statement released by the organisation suggests officers are investigating allegations the suspect "broke into the personal computers of several international artists over the past few months and stole promotional final-cut singles which have yet to be released and traded them online for a fee."

After Madonna's songs were leaked online last month (Dec14), she decided to release a handful of tracks nearly three months before the album's intended release in March (15).

Hours after Israeli officers apprehended the suspect, Madonna took to her Facebook.com page to thank those responsible for tracking down the hacker.

She wrote, "I am profoundly grateful to the FBI, the Israeli Police investigators and anyone else who helped lead to the arrest of this hacker. I deeply appreciate my fans who have provided us with pertinent information and continue to do so regarding leaks of my music.

"Like any citizen, I have the right to privacy. This invasion into my life - creatively, professionally, and personally remains a deeply devastating and hurtful experience, as it must be for all artists who are victims of this type of crime."