A man who allegedly attempted to extort the comedian and actor Kevin Hart by threatening to leak a sex tape has been officially charged, and is facing up to four years’ imprisonment.

Jonathan Todd Jackson, 41, was charged on Wednesday (May 2nd) with one count of attempted extortion and another count of extortion by threatening letter, both “trying to coerce actor Kevin Hart to pay him for a video that was surreptitiously recorded last year,” according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Also going by an alias of ‘Action Jackson’, he is set to be arraigned this week, with a recommended bail of $100,000. If found guilty, he could serve up to four years behind bars.

Kevin HartKevin Hart's alleged blackmailer has been charged

“Jackson is accused of trying to extort an undisclosed amount of money from Hart between August 25th and August 30th, 2017,” the District Attorney announced. “Jackson allegedly had a videotape of the actor with a woman in Las Vegas and then is accused of trying to sell the recording to numerous celebrity news websites.”

More: Woman central to Kevin Hart cheating scandal denies extortion reports

Because of Jackson’s deeds, the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star was forced to apologise to his pregnant wife, Eniko Parrish, and his two children, via a social media video. In it, he revealed that someone was trying to extort him.

“I’m guilty, regardless of how it happened and what was involved, the s*** that I can’t talk about, I’m guilty. I’m wrong,” Hart said in a Power 105.1 FM radio interview soon after. “It’s beyond irresponsible. There’s no way around it. That’s Kevin Hart in his dumbest moment. That’s not the finest hour of my life. With that being said, you make your bed you lay in it.”

Around the same time, model Montia Sebbag identified herself as the woman involved with Hart.

“I am not an extortionist,” she told the Daily Mail. “I had nothing to do with these recordings. I did not know he was married. I found out after we already had been together. So I did not know at first.”

More: Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish announce the arrival of baby Kenzo