A New York Times columnist has claimed that a hacker attempted to use his IP address to download child pornography.

Paul Krugman tweeted on Wednesday that he understood his IP address had been compromised but it wasn't clear if he had been specifically targeted.

'I'm on the phone with my computer security service, and as I understand it someone compromised my IP address and is using it to download child pornography,' he tweeted.

'I might just be a random target. But this could be an attempt to Qanon me.

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has claimed that a hacker attempted to use his IP address to download child pornography

'It's an ugly world out there,' he added.

Krugman later said that the New York Times were investigating.

He deleted his initial tweet soon after saying the Times believed it was likely just a scam.

'Anyway, will have more security in future,' Krugman said.

Krugman is an economist and Nobel Prize winner who regularly writes opinion pieces for the NYT.

He is often critical of Trump.

QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory that claims President Donald Trump is secretly working to dismantle an underground ring of pedophiles.

The theory is often considered an offshoot of PizzaGate.

Like that theory, the QAnon theory maintains that high-level deep state and Democrat operatives are involved in child sex trafficking.

The FBI classified QAnon extremists as a domestic terrorism threat last May.

Just last week, a Montana mother was arrested for allegedly planning to kidnap her child with the help of a man who is a QAnon believer.

Cynthia Abcug, 50, was arrested last Monday on a charge of conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping after her other child - a girl - reported the plot to police and social workers.