A photographer was sentenced to four years in jail for his part in an elaborate scheme to blackmail actress Cameron Diaz with kinky photographs that she posed for before she became a Hollywood star.

John Rutter was convicted in July of grand theft, forgery and perjury after a jury found that he had forged Diaz's signature on a model release form for the photos and then trying to extort $3 million from her.

The bondage-themed topless snaps were taken when Diaz was an aspiring 19-year-old model.

Rutter, 43, had claimed that the case was a misunderstanding and that he had wanted to sell Diaz the photos to help her avoid embarrassment. He asked the judged for probation, but was sentenced instead to three years and eight months in jail.