LUMBERTON, N.C. — Former Miss North Carolina Rebekah Revels is suing her former fiance over topless photos that cost her a title.

Revels is suing Tosh Welch for invasion of privacy, malicious interference with a contract and malicious interference with an economic relationship.

When Revels was crowned Miss North Carolina in 2002, she had dreams of becoming Miss America. But those dreams were cut short when Welch threatened to expose topless pictures of her.

"It is my constitutional right to keep my body private," she said.

Revels is suing the Miss North Carolina pageant after saying she was forced to resign over the pictures. In 2002, she also took Welch to court to get the pictures back.

Revels' attorney now has the pictures, and she is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from Welch.

Superior Court Judge G.K. Butterfield said he expected the trial to wrap up by the end of the week. It is a fight Revels continues to believe in and that she thinks other people can learn from.

"Other people, hopefully, that feel like they've been wronged will continue to fight for what they believe in," Revels said, "and I believe justice should be served in any case, any situation. That's what I hope will come out of this situation."

As for Revels' case against the Miss North Carolina pageant, an arbitrator threw out the case after her attorney refused to hand over the topless pictures to the defense. Revels took the case back to Wake County court, and a judge should decide in the next few weeks whether the arbitrators' ruling should stand.