Perez Hilton caught up in sex tape scandal

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been caught up in a sex-tape scandal in a turnaround that demonstrates the gossip giant’s burgeoning influence.

Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, tried to persuade another young blogger to send in sex tapes of himself in exchange for promotion, the New York Post reports.

Former publicist and gossip writer Jonathan Jaxson, who founded the site JJ's Dirt, told the newspaper he sent Hilton sexually explicit tapes of himself so that Hilton would help him break into the big time.

"He would tell me he would give me stories for my blog," Jaxson told the Post.

"He used me."

Hilton's site Perezhilton.com is one of the most visited celebrity blogs online, with Hilton claiming more than eight million page-views an hour during heavy traffic periods.

There is also speculation the 29-year-old may branch out into managing a record label.

The Post claims to have instant messenger records of chats between Jaxson and Hilton, who allegedly said in one "you should totally make a sex tape", and when Jaxson replied saying he would, Hilton wrote "Hot! Do it now!".

"I fell in love with Perez — I thought he had a huge heart — but he's just an a***hole," Jaxson told the Post.

Hilton has not commented on the matter.

Hilton (as Lavandeira) began his career writing for a variety of gay magazines in Los Angeles before a friend suggested he consider starting a blog.

By 2004 his first site, PageSixSixSix.com, was born and quickly made its mark, being named "Hollywood's Most-Hated Website" by a US gossip television show within six months of its start-up.

PageSixSixSix became Perezhilton.com in 2005, coinciding with Lavandeira's name change.

Via ninemsn.com.au