Celebrity Hacker's Family: Don't Send Our Boy to Prison!

Self-professed celebrity hacker Christopher Chaney is all set to enter a plea in the case that could send him to prison for 121 years ... but Chris' family is adamant, he doesn't belong behind bars.

One of Chris' family members tells TMZ, "Chris was only one of the hackers -- and he wasn't even the main guy. There were a lot of people involved. Chris just happened to stumble along and get involved as well."

The family member adds, "They are making an example out of him ... The law hasn't caught the big guys yet."

Chris' mom tells us she's "devastated" -- "I'm not going to know what to do if my baby goes to jail ... He's a good kid. The media has painted him to be this monster and he's not. There was no profit in what he did. He just got caught up with this whole thing. It was like a game."

Chris faces 121 years in prison for allegedly hacking multiple celebrities' email accounts.