Local Cleric Seen As Major Influence On Anti-Islam Filmmaker

CERRITOS (CBSLA.com) — A  third Southern Californian man might have a behind-the-scenes connection to "Innocence of Muslims," the anti-Islam film that has set off deadly protests around the world.

Standing outside the Cerritos home of filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, CBS2 and KCAL9 reporter Rachel Kim Sunday evening said there was still no sign of the embattled face behind the movie.

Outside the Huntington Beach home of cleric Zakaria Botros Henein Kim said it also looked like the property had been vacated.

She spoke to neighbor Toby Sherman  who noted the home's inordinate surveillance system. "It looks like they do have surveillance and video cameras around the house. In this neighborhood, I don't know of anybody else that has them around the house."

Sherman identified a picture of the man who lives in the house. The pic came from the website fatherzakaria.net. Next to another photo, in Arabic is inscribed Father Zakaria Botros.

Sherman says the residents of the home keep themselves. They're been neighbors for years but that is about all Sherman knows. "I can't say I've seen or talked to them at all in the couple of years they've lived here."

The LA Times says Botros is a Costic Cleric. His views are considered extreme and the newspaper said he could have been a big influence on filmmaker Nakoula Nokoula.

Steve Meister, a criminal defense attorney and KCAL9 legal analyst, "A condition of his probation was to not have any Internet access or allow anyone to have it on his behalf without the advance permission of his probation officer. You can be in trouble with the court."