Karim Benzema, French Soccer Star, Is Convicted in Sex Tape Scandal

PARIS — Karim Benzema, a star striker for Real Madrid, was found guilty by a French court on Wednesday on charges that he was part of an attempt to blackmail a fellow player in a case involving a sex tape, a scandal that saw Benzema excluded from France’s national soccer team for more than five years.

Benzema, 33, was given a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros, or about $84,000.

Benzema had been accused of helping four other men blackmail Mathieu Valbuena, a teammate in the France squad, over an intimate video that had been taken from Valbuena’s mobile phone.

Benzema has always denied the accusations. He was preparing for Real Madrid’s Champions League match later on Wednesday against Sheriff Tiraspol and did not attend court for the decision.