Conviction in Cameron Diaz nude photos case

Jul 26, 2005 by Ian Evans

John Rutter, the photographer who tried to sell Cameron Diaz topless photos of herself when she was 19, now faces six years in prison after being convicted of forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury.

During the trial, Rutter said he was only giving Diaz the “right of first refusal” when he gave her two days in 2003 to buy the photos for $3.5 million before he shopped them around. Obviously, the jury saw less legal motives for his actions.

Diaz released a statement saying that, ““Although I wish that this unfortunate situation hadn’t occurred in the first place, I am very gratified that justice has been served.”

Diaz testified that she had offered to go into partnership with Rutter to release some of the photos but he maintained the pressure. When he wouldn’t name the prospective buyers he spoke of, Diaz contacted police.

Rutter’s attorney Mark Werksman said, “This is about the blackest day in John Rutter’s life. This was an epic battle between a rich and famous celebrity and a hardworking photographer.”

The three parts of Rutter’s conviction included attempted theft for the blackmail scheme, forgery for putting a fake Diaz signature on a release form and perjury for lying about the signature’s authenticity in another civil case.