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Man Behind Anti-Muslim Film To Appear In Court


LOS ANGELES (AP/CBS) — The California man behind the anti-Muslim film that sparked violence in the Middle East is expected to be asked by a judge Wednesday whether he violated his probation for a 2010 bank fraud conviction.

Federal prosecutors argue that 55-year-old Mark Basseley Youssef, of Cerritos, had eight probation violations, including lying to his probation officer and using aliases.

If Youssef denies those allegations, a judge will then likely schedule an evidentiary hearing.

Federal authorities say Youssef, who also went by the name Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, was behind the film "Innocence of Muslims."

Protests ignited by the video broke out last month first in Egypt, then Libya, then throughout the Muslim world, including Pakistan, and dozens were killed in the unrest.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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