UPDATE 2-Ex-Monster Worldwide chief guilty of options fraud

* Jury rules ex-Monster head guilty in backdating scheme

* Accused of falsely inflating company earnings

* Company says closer to putting issue behind it (Adds statement from company, byline)

By Grant McCool

NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - James Treacy, the former CEO and president of job recruiter Monster Worldwide Inc (MWW.N), is guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy in a stock options backdating scheme, a U.S. jury ruled on Tuesday.

The jury issued its verdict on the first day of deliberations in Manhattan federal court in the criminal trial before U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff.

Treacy was charged in April 2008 by federal prosecutors who said the backdating scheme led to the fraudulent understatement of the company's compensation expenses by more than $300 million.

He was accused of conspiring with other former top executives at the job recruitment website to systematically backdate option grants to company employees between 1997 and 2003, falsely inflating the company's earnings.

"This verdict brings us closer to the end of an unfortunate chapter in the company's history and closer to putting the issue firmly behind us," Monster Worldwide said in a statement.