A court in Lyon on Monday sentenced Saint-Etienne Mayor Gael Perdriau to four years in prison after finding him guilty of blackmailing a former deputy with a secretly recorded sex tape involving a male sex worker.

Perdriau, who has led the city since 2014, had denied any role in commissioning the video of his then-deputy Gilles Artigues. Artigues, a Roman Catholic and vocal critic of same-sex marriage, was filmed in a hotel room in early 2015.

The court ruled that Perdriau used the tape to keep his deputy in line, concluding he was responsible for blackmail, criminal conspiracy and the misuse of public funds. He received four years in jail, an additional suspended sentence and a five-year ban from holding public office.

Presiding judge Brigitte Vernay said Perdriau was “entirely guilty.” Prosecutors argued he oversaw the plot and made it clear that the recording would be released if Artigues broke ranks.

Three co-defendants, including Perdriau’s former chief of staff and another deputy who admitted to arranging the setup, were also given prison terms.

Speaking after the ruling, Perdriau insisted he was innocent and said he would appeal.

Artigues had secretly recorded a 2017 conversation in which the mayor referenced a “USB stick” containing compromising footage and threatened to make it public. He told the court the pressure left him unable to function freely in city hall meetings.

“I was like a puppet. They put me there, and I smiled,” he said. He also told the court the ordeal pushed him into a period of severe emotional distress.

Surrounded by family after the verdict, Artigues said he hoped the judgment would allow him to rebuild his life.