US complains to Russia over 'sex tape' fabrication

America protested to Russia's foreign ministry about what it calls "a smear campaign" against the diplomat, insisting that key parts of the embarrassing "honeytrap" allegedly featuring him were fabricated.

In an unusually public move, John Beyrle, Washington's ambassador to Russia, used an interview on a US TV network to defend the diplomat, hinting he thought the Russian authorities had framed him.

Russian media had a field day with the story in August, revelling in a video which purported to show Kyle Hatcher, a second secretary at the embassy, contacting three prostitutes and then being filmed with one of them on a bed in a darkened hotel room. Mr Hatcher, 34, is married and liaises with religious and human rights groups for the embassy.

But Mr Beyrle, the ambassador, told ABC News that he had concluded the episode was a fit-up, that Mr Hatcher was blameless, and that he would keep his job.

"The video we saw was a montage of lots of different clips, some of which are clearly fabricated," he said. "We had our security office in Washington take a look at that and they are convinced Kyle has done nothing wrong."

The film included what was alleged to be Mr Hatcher's bugged mobile phone conversations, spliced footage of him from different periods, and displayed photographs of a clutch of scantily clad women it alleged he frequented...