Former Schumacher family bodyguard arrested in blackmail case

German police have arrested a former security guard for the family of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher in connection with an attempted blackmail, prosecutors said on Friday.

The 52-year-old suspect in the operation was arrested on Thursday in the town of Wülfrath near Wuppertal in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said Attorney General Wolf-Tilman Baumert. A large amount of additional evidence was also secured.

In late June, investigators arrested two suspected blackmailers, a 53-year-old man and his 30-year-old son. According to the prosecutor’s office, they had private photos of the family.

An investigation into how two men came into possession of photos documenting the family’s private life and immediate surroundings led to the 52-year-old former security guard.

In late 2013, Schumacher suffered a serious injury in a skiing accident. He has not appeared in public since.