22 August 2004	Sunday	05 Rajab 1425

NEW YORK, Aug 21: A Pakistani man pleaded guilty in a Seattle (Washington) court Friday on charges of attempted extortion of Eddie Bauer apparel factory in Pakistan,

Usman Hayat, a resident of Islamabad, threatened to release photographs of child labourers in the Pakistani factory unless the company paid him money.

According to a newspaper report, the prosecutors said that Mr Hayat entered the plea in Seattle federal court in which he agreed to pay the company more than $21,000 for the cost of defending itself.

The single count of transmitting interstate and foreign communications with the intent to extort carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and $250,000 fine.

The prosecutors said Mr Hayat admitted he e-mailed Eddie Bauer in February, threatening to release the photos to the media or on the Web if he did not get the payment.

The company said earlier that Mr Hayat's child labour claims were not credible.

In a bid to extort money he travelled to the United States and went to the company's headquarters in Redmond and showed undercover agents' photo negatives he said supported the child labour claims.