Karim Benzema Faces 1-Year Suspended Prison Sentence In Blackmail Case

French striker Karim Benzema was found guilty for his involvement in a sex tape blackmail case this week. That resulted in getting handed a 1-year suspended prison sentence and a fine, according to reports.

Benzema’s attorney is however adamant he did nothing wrong. According to CNN, he will appeal the conviction. This is not the first time when Benzema scored in the wrong net.

The Real Madrid star was arrested way back in 2015. Back then investigators found him guilty of another sexually immoral activity. They accused him and 4 other men in extorting French national teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sexually explicit video.

Benzema is considered as one of the best poachers in the world. He was accused of being a middleman in the plot to get money from Valbuena over the video. Benz however defended himself saying that he was just trying to help his teammate handle the issue.

Officials saw it differently claiming his conversations with Valbuena were all part of the scheme. Benzema was found guilty of complicity in a Versailles court this week. He will now serve his suspended sentence and a 75,000 euro fine (about $84,000). This means if he keeps his nose clean, he won’t have to serve the jail-time behind bars.

What’s interesting is the prosecutor actually requested a 10-month sentence, but the judge gave Benzema more time. Benzema was booted from the French national team as the case unfolded but rejoined the squad earlier this year. What’s your take from this story? Sound off in the comments!