Miss Nevada USA Title Stripped

Miss Nevada USA has been stripped of her title today after racy photos of her appeared on the internet, pageant officials said. Some of the photos show Katie Rees kissing other women and exposing one of her breasts. "Katie Rees has been relieved of her duties as Miss Nevada USA 2007," said Paula M Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organisation, which owns the Miss USA pageant.

Shugart said first runner-up Helen Salas would assume the title and compete at the 2007 Miss USA pageant on March 23 in Los Angeles. Rees' dismissal comes two days after Miss USA Tara Conner was allowed to keep her tiara by Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump after she admitted to underage drinking at New York bars. Rees' lawyer, Mario Torres, defended the blonde beauty queen in a statement sent to the media.

"Katie Rees Miss Nevada USA wants the public to know she was 17 and had a lapse in judgment,'' he said. "The actions on that evening in subject are in no way indicative of the person she is or the person she has become. ... She is a law-abiding citizen and talented adult. This was an isolated incident that occurred more than five years ago when she was a minor.''

Shugart made the decision to jettison Rees, with pageant co-owner Trump's support, said Miss Universe Organisation spokeswoman Lark-Marie Anton. Trump, who co-owns Miss Universe with NBC, gave Conner a second chance after meeting her on Tuesday. Trump said Conner, 21, was a good person with a good heart and deserved to keep her title.

"I think Tara is going to be the great comeback kid,'' Trump said.

Rees has appeared as Miss Nevada USA at charity events such as the Goodie Two Shoe Giveaway, at which underprivileged students received free shoes, backpacks and school supplies. Ms Shugart said first runner-up Helen Salas will assume the title and compete at the next Miss USA pageant on March 23 in Los Angeles. In another beauty pageant brouhaha, Mothers Against Drunk Driving said yesterday it was severing ties with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair because it was "disappointed'' by reports that the 18-year-old had been partying with Conner in New York clubs.

AP