A man who tried to extort US R&B bod Babyface has been sentenced to six months in a halfway house. John Travis Clark claimed to be the singer / songwriter / producer's illegitimate son, and offered to "keep his mouth shut" in return for some cash. Clark was arrested after a sting type operation which saw the extorter pick up a phoney cheque from Babyface's lawyer's office. The six months in a halfway house, on top of 98 days served in jail since his arrest and a further six months probation were part of a plea agreement in which Clark admitted his crime.
Commenting on the case, Babyface, real name Kenneth Edmonds, told reporters: "I want to make it emphatically clear that John Clark is not my son. John Travis Clark sought to ruin my reputation by broadcasting his lies to the entire country, which would not only destroy my family but would resonate loudly in the music industry".