A young criminal dubbed the Barefoot Bandit in the US has signed a Hollywood movie deal worth 1.3 million with 20th Century Fox.

The money Colton Harris-Moore,20,from Washington state,earns will be used to help pay what he owes in restitution to the victims of his two-year-long crime wave.

During that time,Harris-Moore made his way across the United States in stolen boats,cars and planes,in scenes reminiscent of the Leonardo DiCaprio film Catch Me If You Can.

He crashed planes in rural areas and stole cars from parking lots at small airports. On occasions,he was shoeless,which led to him being nicknamed the Barefoot Bandit. He was eventually captured after crash landing in the Bahamas.

I did things that were not only a violation of law,but also of trust. I cant undo what I did. I can only try to make things better, the Telegraph quoted him as saying in a hand written statement released by his lawyers to ‘The Herald.’

I am humbled to know I can now help the people I hurt,at least for the financial damage I caused them. I have absolutely zero interest in profiting from any of this,and I wont make a dime off it. It all goes to restitution.

Thats what I insisted on from the beginning,and the contract I signed guarantees it, he added.

‘Taking Flight’ will presumably be the working title of the Hollywood film based on the escapades of Harris-Moore who has pleaded guilty of seven felony charges ranging from stealing an aircraft to possessing a firearm,due to be sentenced in October.