Lawyers for John Edwards' Former Aide Hand Over Sex Tape

Feb. 10, 2010— -- Lawyers for a former John Edwards aide handed over to a North Carolina court today a purported sex tape allegedly made by the one-time presidential candidate and his mistress.

The ex-aide, Andrew Young, retrieved the alleged sex tape from a safe deposit box at a First Citizens Bank in Atlanta on Tuesday, accompanied by a private security guard appointed by the court.

Young gave a videotape labeled "special" (the sex tape) and a DVD called "hmm files copy 2," plus a log of the safe deposit box's activity, to the guard, who delivered the items to the court to be put under seal. According to the guard who testified today, the log showed the box was last opened in December 2008.

Young's attorney also turned over a copy of the sex tape from the Youngs' home along with additional items, including a CD of photos.

The handover came after a week of legal battles.

North Carolina Judge Abraham Penn Jones ordered that a security officer accompany Young to retrieve the tape and remove personal photographs from the Youngs' computer. In response, the Youngs filed an appeal against the order Monday, claiming it amounted to unreasonable search and seizure.

The Court of Appeals issued a stay in the case Tuesday, but the ruling came down after Young had already turned over the tape to the security guard.

Rielle Hunter, 42, was granted a temporary restraining order last month to prevent Andrew and Cheri Young from distributing a "personal videotape," which she contends is her property.

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The Youngs were declared in contempt of court Feb. 5, for not turning over the tape and photos being sought by Hunter. Jones said there would be penalties if the tapes weren't given to the court by today's deadline.

The Youngs claim that all the material covered by the temporary restraining order may be needed by federal prosecutors investigating whether campaign funds were improperly used by Edwards or his staff. A copy of the tape has been given to the FBI in Washington, D.C., as part of a grand jury investigation into Edwards' campaign finances.

Andrew Young Offered 'Gigantic' Sum for Sex Tape

Edwards admitted that he fathered a child during an affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, 42. Hunter gave birth to Frances Quinn, in February 2008.

Young covered up Edward's affair with Hunter throughout the presidential campaign, acting as a middleman in a love triangle between the presidential hopeful, his ailing wife and his mistress. The once-loyal aide even claimed paternity of Edwards' love child to protect the candidate's reputation and political career.

The existence of a sex tape, along with other revelations on Edwards' affair and the expensive cover-up of Hunter's pregnancy, came to light in Young's new tell-all book, "The Politician."

Hunter said she made and hid a videotape that "depicted matters of a very private and personal nature" in or around September 2006, according to an affidavit filed Jan. 28, 2009.

Young said the woman in the tape was noticeably pregnant. While the woman's face is not seen in the video, Cheri Young said the woman is wearing a bracelet and a thumb ring typically worn by Hunter. Young, who had worked for Edwards since his 1998 Senate win, said he was absolutely sure it was Edwards in the tape.

Hunter claimed the video was found in a hatbox where she kept personal items like her passport in a house that the Youngs rented for her. The Youngs said the video was found in a box of trash in their own home after Hunter stayed with them for several weeks in 2007.

Andrew Young told ABC News that he'd been offered a "gigantic" amount of money to sell the tape.

Hunter also has filed suit against the Youngs to seek damages for invasion of privacy.