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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Man admits blackmailing Letterman | Man admits blackmailing Letterman |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A US television producer has pleaded guilty to attempting to blackmail US chat show host David Letterman over his sexual affairs. | A US television producer has pleaded guilty to attempting to blackmail US chat show host David Letterman over his sexual affairs. |
| Robert Halderman was charged after threatening to reveal all unless paid $2m (1.47m euros). | |
| The attempt sparked Mr Letterman to make an on-air confession about his affairs with production staff. | The attempt sparked Mr Letterman to make an on-air confession about his affairs with production staff. |
| Mr Halderman's lawyers had initially claimed he was attempting to sell the comedian a thinly veiled screenplay. | Mr Halderman's lawyers had initially claimed he was attempting to sell the comedian a thinly veiled screenplay. |
| Appearing in front of New York State Supreme Court, Mr Halderman reached a plea bargain in which he will serve six months in prison, perform 1,000 hours of community service and give up his right to appeal against his conviction. | |
| Apology | |
| He could have faced up to 15 years in prison had he gone to trial and been convicted. | |
| "In September of 2009, I attempted to extort $2 million from David Letterman by threatening to disclose personal and private information about him, whether true or false," Mr Halderman told the judge. | |
| In a statement to the court, he apologised to both Mr Letterman and his family. | |
| The former producer for CBS' true crime programme, 48 Hours Mystery, is reported to have obtained the details he used to blackmail Mr Letterman from his ex-girlfriend's diary entries about her relationship with her boss. |