US: A photographer who took topless pictures of actor Cameron Diaz when she was unknown was convicted of perjury, forgery and attempted grand theft. He faces up to six years in prison.
After four hours of deliberation, a jury on Monday found that John Rutter (42) had forged Diaz's signature to blackmail her into paying him millions for the photos.
Diaz was not in court when the verdict was read, but said in a statement she was "very gratified that justice has been served".
In a news conference after the verdict, defence lawyer Mark Werksman said it was "the blackest day in John Rutter's life", and that his client was a hardworking photographer who had lost his battle with a celebrity. He will be sentenced on September 15th.
Rutter took the pictures of Diaz, clad in fishnets and leather, when she was a struggling model in 1992. Not long after the shoot, her acting career took off with films such as The Mask and There's Something About Mary.
Rutter presented Diaz with the pictures in 2003, a week before the premiere of her movie Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, telling her he was going to sell the pictures to publications worldwide unless she paid him more than $3 million.
"I was furious," Diaz said when she recently took the stand. "I have a temper with certain things ... when people come after me. I've never felt so violated. It leaves a hole in my chest. I was sick to my stomach."
Rutter was accused of forging Diaz's signature on the model release form for the pictures, then lying about it.
A civil case is also pending, scheduled for October in Santa Monica Superior Court.