© KTLAFamed Malibu photographer Paul Rusconi was cleared Friday of allegations that he raped his 20-month-old twin daughters.
It's been almost a year since distant family members, the nanny who took care of Rusconi's two girls, and her husband, accused him of raping his daughters after seeing photos that he had taken of himself with his girls in a bathtub, KTLA reports.
Rusconi believes that the couple targeted him because he is a gay single father. "They all called me a sexual deviant and a pervert," Rusconi told KTLA. "That's all stemming from my sexuality."
The day he was arrested, June 17, 2011, Rusconi's two daughters were taken away from him and given to his accusers, who had convinced authorities they were the best caretakers for the twins. Rusconi was held overnight in jail and then released on $220,000 bail.
Six months later, a rape kit produced negative results and prosecutors were unconvinced by the allegations, so the artist got his daughters back.
Rusconi is now suing his accusers and told KTLA, "the people I let into my life is much tighter, and I intend on keeping it that way."
The photographer is known for his celebrity photography, including photos featuring Mary-Kate Olsen, Tyra Banks, Karl Lagerfeld, and President Barack Obama.
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