Thursday, 5 June 2008

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Jamie Lynn Spears: photographer arrested

Paparazzo accused of stalking pregnant actress

Jamie LynnSpears with fiance Casey Aldridge

A Los Angeles-based celebrity shutterbug who was allegedly stalking the pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears and fiancé Casey Aldridge in a small Mississippi town has been arrested.

Photographer Edwin W. Merino, 30, posted bond Tuesday and has a court date next week, the Associated Press reports.

Merino denies the accusations, saying that while in Liberty, Miss. (near the Louisiana border), he remained about 200 feet from the couple and was using a telephoto at the time he was apprehended at a gas station.

Merino also said he was about to vacate the area after having little success in photographing Aldridge and Spears, who is due imminently.

"I've seen the young man Casey in pictures," Merino said. "I haven't worked on them myself. The first time I got a good look at him was in court."

He added, "The one picture I got was kind of by luck. I got lucky when I saw them at Wal-Mart when I was buying deodorant."

There has been no comment from the Spears camp.

By Stephen M. Silverman