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Monday, 24 July, 2000, 12:53 GMT 13:53 UK
'Spielberg's nephew' guilty of forgery
Stephen Spielberg
Jonathan Spielberg referred to the director as "Uncle Steven"
A man who tried to pass himself off as the nephew of director Steven Spielberg has been sentenced to two years' probation for forgery.

Jonathan Taylor Spielberg, who enrolled in a Catholic high school pretending to be a nephew of the famous film-maker, bragged about "Uncle Steven" to his friends.

He received an 11-month suspended jail sentence on Friday.

He was also ordered to receive mental health counselling, perform 100 hours of community service and avoid contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Experience

Born Anoushirvan D Fakhran in Iran, he changed his name in 1997, and for more than a year attended high school classes in Fairfax, Virginia, claiming to be a 14-year-old.

Six Degrees of Separation
The case has been compared to the fictional story in Six Degrees of Separation

Spielberg is thought to be 27 years old although his attorney said his exact date of birth is uncertain.

He drove a BMW with "SPLBERG" license plates, and parked the car in the principal's space at school.

He said he did it "just for fun, to get the experience I never had" but had to forge a glowing report from the "Beverly Hills Private School for Actors," to gain entry to the high school.

School officials discovered the ruse when they tried to contact the Steven Spielberg about Jonathan's absenteeism.

Responding to the call, the director's Los Angeles security consultants alerted Fairfax City police.

The deception drew comparisons with a recent play and film, Six Degrees of Separation, in which a disturbed teenager masqueraded as Sidney Poitier's son.

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