LOS ANGELES — The Egyptian-American man reportedly behind the anti-Islamic video that sparked weeks of Muslim protests worldwide was arrested and detained in Los Angeles on Sept. 27 over a federal probation violation.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a 55-year-old Coptic Christian, was placed in federal custody by U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal over eight alleged probation violations stemming from his 2010 check fraud conviction.
Nakoula’s probation violations include the use of aliases and lying to probation officers; with new charges, he may serve another two years on top of the 21 months he served after the 2010 fraud conviction. Nakoula also had been barred in that case from going online or using computers for five years without probation officer approval.
Nakoula admitted he was the producer of the film, “Innocence of Muslims,” which depicts Islam’s Prophet Muhammad as a child-molesting, adulterous fraud. Muslims worldwide have protested the film since a trailer posted on YouTube was broadcast in Egypt.
As the controversy erupted, Nakoula first told reporters he was a Jewish real estate agent named “Sam Bacile.” Now imprisoned until his next federal hearing, Nakoula had been in hiding since the onset of protests Sept. 11.
The few American Muslim protests against the film, including one in Dearborn, Mich., have been peaceful.
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