The woman at the centre of the New York Governor call-girl scandal is suing GIRLS GONE WILD founder Joe Francis - claiming he exploited her name and image for profit.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre is seeking more than $10 million (GBP5 million) in damages in the lawsuit filed on Monday (28Apr08).

Dupre alleges that Girls Gone Wild representatives approached her while she was vacationing in Florida in 2003 and offered her alcohol before encouraging her to expose her breasts for their cameras when she was just 17.

The suit claims Girls Gone Wild has illegally exploited Dupre's name, picture, voice and likeness in a number of deceptive ad campaigns and on websites, reports People.com.

Francis said he was "surprised and in fact amazed" by the lawsuit.

He adds, "She's seeking $10 million for topless photos taken in front of a room full of people, including two newspapers and multiple crews we had in the room.

"These images were taken in public places and contain no sexual contact. We expect to triumph in this matter."

Last month (Mar08), Francis was released from a jail in Nevada, where he continues to face federal tax evasion charges. He is currently fighting separate charges in Florida for allegedly filming underage girls in Panama City. Francis claims that the girls lied about their age.

Meanwhile, Dupre has not been seen in public since New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was outed as one of her clients.