Photographer charged with attempting to extort €2.5m from actress Diaz

A CALIFORNIAN photographer has been charged with using nine-year-old photos of Cameron Diaz in an attempt to extort €2.5 million from the actress.

John Rutter, 41, was charged with attempted extortion, grand theft and perjury, as well as two counts of forgery.

He claimed to have a release for the pictures signed by the star, and faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

He was expected to appear before Los Angeles Superior Court later yesterday after being jailed on €200,000 bail.

The compromising shots were taken nine years ago, when she was 21.

Last week a judge ordered the photographs and a video of Diaz sealed and set a September 12 hearing on her request for an injunction against Rutter.

Lawyers for Diaz and Rutter have declined to discuss the contents of the videotape or describe the photos, but it has been widely reported that they include topless pictures of the Charlie’s Angels star.

Rutter has said, however, that he contacted Diaz’s lawyers to offer them first right of refusal for the photographs before trying to sell them to media outlets. Soon after he contacted them, he said, his apartment was raided by authorities and the photos were seized.

A publicist for Diaz has denied the actress ever signed a photo release and said a release produced by Rutter is a forgery. The actress has starred in films such as Something About Mary, Vanilla Sky and last year’s epic Gangs of New York and is one of Tinseltown’s hottest stars.